The forest department is successfully conserving forests and wildlife in the country in spite of numerous problems, said the Uttarakhand additional principal chief conservator of forests Dhananjai Mohan. He was speaking as the chief guest in the inaugural session of the six-day training course on wildlife management for in-service additional conservators of forests at the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFoS) here on Monday.
Speaking at the inaugural session, the additional PCCF averred that the forest department is successfully conserving forests and wildlife due to the sincere and dedicated efforts of the forest department. As a result, the population of megafauna species like tiger, elephant and the one horned rhinoceros has increased and the forest cover is also showing a progressive trend over the years.
Earlier, the CASFoS principal in-charge and course director C Ramesh welcomed all the participants and faculty members to the workshop. The course is aimed at orienting the forest officers to wildlife management.
Twenty two forest officers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are participating in this course.
This six-day training programme will include exposure of the participants to overview of wildlife and protected area management in India, wildlife forensics, use of modern tools and technology in wildlife management, habitat management, eco-development strategies in India and trade in wildlife among other aspects. A field trip to Jhilmil Jheel conservation reserve in Haridwar forest division is also planned as part of the course.