The Vice President of India, M Hamid Ansari said that the large magnitude of Kedarnath calamity last year was a result of indiscriminate construction on the glacial bed. Interacting with probationers of the 2013-15 batch of Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) here on Wednesday, Ansari called upon the foresters to keep in mind the interest of posterity and that of the society as a whole while implementing the forest laws. A total of 76 probationers including 28 women probationers participated in the interaction.
Replying to a question put forth by a probationer, Ansari observed that in hilly terrains traditionally the villages were settled on hilltops, but in the recent past a tendency has developed to construct houses on river beds and banks which cause a great loss to life and property at the time of cloudbursts.
Responding to another question by a probationer, he underlined that there had always been a gap between promise and delivery like the gap between demand and supply and the same has been the case with the aspirations of the society and the resource management that is expected of a young forest officer in the field. He said a soldier takes care of the external security whereas a forest officer is responsible for the security of environment and importance of both cannot be undermined. When asked as to what should be the prime duty of a forester, Ansari said, “give your best to your ability to the society”.
Earlier, the Vice President visited the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and interacted with Gentlemen Cadets. He was accompanied by the Commandant of the Academy lt Gen Manvender Singh. Interacting with the GCs at Chetwood Hall and Vikram Batra hall in the IMA premises, Ansari asked the GCs to keep their team spirit and the bonds inculcated in the academy intact in all spheres they happen to be deployed in future.