The Kumaon zone of Uttarakhand Forest Department has started centralised digital telephonic call centre service “Van Mitra” for ensuring the people’s participation in forest and wildlife conservation.  The main objective of this service is to provide an interactive platform for the people to protect forests and wildlife while also establishing a direct relationship with frontline forest staff for their welfare and grievance redressal. The Van Mitra call centre service will work on 24x7x365 format. One can call 9208008000 for registering any information or complaint related to the forest department.

The idea and operationilisation of this call centre service is being carried out by the Kumaon zone chief conservator of forests Param Jit Singh. According to the department, this service will provide an interactive platform to the people for the forests and wildlife protection related information like illegal mining, illicit tree felling, wildlife poaching, encroachment on reserve forest land, illegal timber transport, illegal resin transport/tapping and other wildlife crimes. This is the first attempt to establish a direct contact between people and forest department through a   call centre service which will be operational round the year.

The service is also aimed at making the forest department more transparent and accountable towards the people and is expected to also be useful in mitigation of forest fire and varied natural disasters. This is also the first attempt to establish a direct connection with frontline forest staff for their welfare and grievance redressal.

The Van Mitra call centre service was

inaugurated on Wednesday by the Uttarakhand principal chief conservator of forests SS Sharma at the Nainital zoo auditorium.