Image: Northeast Now

The principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF), head of forest (HoF) and principal secretary, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Manmohan Singh Negi, visited D Ering Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday.

During his visit the IFS Officer of 1982 UT cadre said the sanctuary has huge potential for tourism.

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While visiting the core zones areas of the sanctuary in East Siang District, Negi said the Sanctuary has improved a lot since his DFO days when he had served the sanctuary as divisional forest officer during 1988-89.

“I am glad to see the sanctuary is improving a lot today by the hard effort of the present divisional forest officer, Tasang Taga along with its range officers and field staffs.

The management intervention is very good now and the conservation and protection of wildlife awareness among the public are inevitable by the improvement and progress of the sanctuary,” he said.

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“The wild animals are now thriving in the DEWS and it has huge tourism potential today and tourists must opt for this sanctuary for wildlife tourism,” added Negi.

Negi inspected the main wildlife habitats like vast grasslands, natural lake (locally called ‘Jopong Patang’) and a grassland in the middle of high forest (locally called ‘Mikok’) etc besides seeing the ongoing construction of range office, transit camp and a watch/animal viewing tower.

While closely watching a motherless elephant cub separated from the herd, Negi suggested DFO Tasang Taga to give proper medical care to the cub by inviting veterinary doctors.

Negi also assured to look into providing proper financial assistances to increase the depth of the natural lake ‘Jopong Patang’ so that the water remains in the lake even in the dry days.

He also felt the need to raise/construct a flood protection along the stretches of thick forest of Jopong in the north (Jopong podum/Jopong mata) where erosion is potentially threatening the major wildlife habitats.

Negi was also accompanied by DFO territory, Tashi Mize (former DFO of DEWS) along with state Wildlife Board member M Tayeng, range officers, O Tayeng and D Koyu etc.