A meeting cum awareness programme for conservation of wildlife was held at Tsiepama Village Council Hall on the March 15 with participation of the officials of the Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department, members/chairman of Tsiepama Village Council, GBs, chairman and members of the Tsiepama Community Reserve management Committee. Around 50 participants participated in the programme.
The attendees discussed how to implement Tsiepama Community Reserve Project sanctioned in 2017-18 by the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (EF & CC), Government of India, New Delhi.
A press release by Dimapur Wildlife Crime Control Unit, stated that PCCF PCCF (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden, Nagaland, Satya Prakash Tripathi spoke on the concept of community reserve. He said that in Nagaland, existing Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) could be easily “notified” into Community Reserves through village council resolutions, for possible funding by the ministry of EF & CC, New Delhi.
Medovisie, village council chairman, assured that they would extend full cooperation for protection and conservation of forest and wildlife. He also asked about the benefits, both tangible and intangible, of community reserves which were clarified by Caroline Angami, wildlife warden, Dimapur.
Khrehie Angami, chairman TCRP said that wildlife crime will not be allowed under Tsiepama village jurisdiction. He appealed to the forest department to punish culprits as per the law to avoid recurrence of wildlife crime. The seriousness and implications of wildlife crime was explained in detail by the Forest department officials. A copy of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 was given to the village council to supplement their knowledge on wildlife crime.
Vote of thanks was proposed by Imnanukshi, deputy ranger, Wildlife Crime Control Unit, Wildlife Division, Dimapur. Around 50 persons attended the programme.