One day event was held at Aketa Hotel, Dehradun Uttarakhand and witnessed huge congregation of Top forest officials, Bureaucrats, Experts and Environmentalists, key players in energy sector, experts in wildlife conservation, officials from relevant govt. Departments, representatives from local NGOs and community. With more than 500 participants from different parts of country, local community and school children, the event made a lasting impression in the minds of participants by encouraging behavior change within this select group of event attendees. The conference drew a host of people from across the country and provided an ideal setting for networking and liasoning on issue of conservation of natural resources. In the morning a cultural program and a “Nukkad Natak” was organised that witnessed participation by artists of “Samvedna Samooh” and build awareness and behavior change on the issue of protection of wild life and ecosystems among community members followed by an interactive Symposium that provoked meaningful conversant and debates around the issue of environment conservation, wildlife protection, promoting ecotourism, reducing human-wildlife conflict and conservation in the Himalayan region.
Session on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Ecotourism/Wildlife Tourism
Technical session on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Ecotourism/Wildlife Tourism Seen participation of wildlife experts, experts from energy sector and forest officials from Uttarakhand to bring in the macro perspective from the global as well as the national level. The session deliberated upon the problem and reasons of increasing Human-Wildlife Conflict in the forest reserves like Rajaji and how poaching happen in the region. Also it highlighted the steps government machinery taking to reduce the conflict and plug poaching activity completely. In this how Ecotourism can play a big role as it can give a sustainable living to people living in the vicinity of Wildlife reserves. By this they will also be encouraged to protect wildlife and reduce the conflict with them. It would be a kind of symbiosis
Vinod Rishi, Ret. IFS and Environmentalists highlighted the massive efforts that are needed immediately to conserve the wildlife. He said that wild animals are forced to change their habits due to increasing interference of human being into their territory but there is a limit to this behavior change and we should now stop this otherwise human-wildlife conflict would go to next level.
Samir Sinha, APCCF/CEO, Uttarakhand CAMPA, Dehradun said that it is high time to protect our valuable wildlife and for that we have to give proper awareness regarding their importance to our children. He also shared the efforts of forest department to promote tourism activity in Uttarakhand. He calls for local community to protect wild animals from poachers and save the ecosystems as it is necessary for their good and earning both.
L.N.Mishra, ADM Haridwar shared his childhood memories and lesson taught by his grandmother that whenever you cut your nails wrap it properly in a piece of paper and bury it under the earth. She was of the view that if you throw it carelessly the birds will eat it and it will choke their throat and they will die. He said that it is the responsibility of each one of us to protect wildlife and environment. He said government should also take note of the requirements of people living in the village vicinity so that human-wildlife conflict could be avoided
Chief Conservator of Forest Ranjan Kumar Mishra highlight the problem of Human-Wildlife conflict and how this issue can be solved through public participation. He informed that when we throw foods to monkey, they usually stop eating leafs and fruits in the jungle. This will result in death of many monkeys due to non availability of human food in jungle. He calls for support of community in preserving ecology and protecting wildlife.
Shri. SS Rasaily, IFS, Member- Secretary, Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, Dehradun highlighted the work done board in the forest and called the support of wildlife enthusiast to come and enjoy the rich flora and fauna in the state and help the board to establish the forest property in the state.
Managing Directors of Himalayas You and Me Foundation Amit Bhanot called for support of local community and forest department to conserve the sensitive environment of the Uttarakhand that house two Tiger Reserve viz. Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji Tiger Reserve and other national parks that is a habitat of hundreds of tigers and elephants and various other animals and birds. He also presented his views on contribution of tourism activities towards environment conservation and calls for shunning polythene at all level to conserve environment.
Fest also saw participation of academics and Environmentalists to bring out the good practices adopted by tourism sector towards conservation and also highlighted major issues and challenges and the host of opportunities. Environmentalist Om Prakash Bhatt presented his view on conservation of meadows in the upper Himalayan region and called for curtailing human interference into that sensitive zone. He put focus on the increasing pollution levels in the rivers and deteriorating situation in the Himalayan region. Dr. Kusum Arunachalam, Head and Dean, School of Environment Studies, Doon University highlighted the importance of forest and River conservation and shared her experience in conservation of various small rivers in Himalayan region and thereby protecting Indian landscape. She called for all out efforts of community, government, academicians, lawmakers and citizen to conserve the environment at every cost.
Highlight of the program was the Painting Competition organized in 4 schools of Dehradun with a theme of environment conservation. Children from Hilton School, St. Judes School, Saraswati Shishu Mandir (Subhash Nagar Branch) and Saraswati Shishu Mandir (Niranjanpur Branch) have participated in the painting competition. Leading oil companies ONGC and Indian Oil has supported the fest as main sponsors. NGO Partner of the event SMAGRE’s MD Priyank Barthwal suggested ways and means to conserve forests and calls for planting more tree across the country, while Associate Partner Black Pearl Movies Private Limited Director J P Tiwari calls for public participation in environment conservation.
Ms. Madhuben Sharma, Asstt. Professor, Course Coordinator, UPES, and Sakshi Dubey and Saurabh Singh of UPES Dehradun were main anchors for the program. Financial Expert ShivKant Vaishya and HUM Foundation Director Aruna Sharma gave vote of thanks while HUM foundation team leader Praveen Kumar Yadav along with Vivek Yadav coordinated the activities to make the fest a success.
