Doyang Wildlife Division inaugurated to boost conservation

In a move aimed at strengthening wildlife conservation and addressing growing human-elephant conflict, the department of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, on Thursday inaugurated the Doyang Wildlife Division, Wokha. With the inauguration, the Doyang Wildlife Division, headquartered in Wokha, will cover forest areas across Wokha, Mokokchung, and Zunheboto districts. The new division aims to strengthen wildlife conservation and improve forest management across the State.
Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Village Guards, C.L. John in his address, emphasised the importance of ecological balance, stating that humans cannot survive in isolation from nature.
He remarked that while environmental degradation is often caused by human activities, the government is frequently blamed for the consequences. He assured that the new division would help address the human-elephant conflict and gradually bring development, adding that more staff would be deployed in Wokha to effectively tackle wildlife-related concerns.
On mitigation measures, John stated that the State Action Plan has already been submitted for assessment and expressed hope for positive outcomes. When asked on the compensation for the man who lost his life from New Riphyim village, Wokha, last year due to human-elephant conflict, he informed that an ex gratia of Rs.9 lakh has been provided, comprising Rs.5 lakh from the department and Rs.4 lakh from the State Disaster Management.
Speaking at the programme, principal secretary Kikheto Sema highlighted the growing issue of human-elephant conflict in the region and stressed the need for a dedicated wildlife division in Doyang, which he said has been a long-felt necessity.
He noted that increasing forest clearances and shrinking habitats are likely to intensify such conflicts in the future, and urged the need to maintain human-wildlife coexistence while preserving habitat for wildlife. He also stated that the department is exploring new strategies and conducting training programmes to effectively address human-elephant conflict.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Vedpal Singh, stated that the process, which began in 2022, had progressed slowly but has now finally been inaugurated. He added that this had been a long-standing demand of the people and expressed hope that it would be an effective step in tackling wildlife-related issues in the division.
He further informed that a control room has been set up at the Wokha Forest Office for conducting assessments, and that a designated phone number will be provided through which grievances and issues can be reported.
ADC Wokha, Renbomo Ezung, speaking on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner, stated that Wokha district has been facing multiple wildlife-related challenges, particularly human-elephant conflict. He expressed hope that with the establishment of the Doyang division, issues related to wildlife could be addressed more effectively, especially through improved habitat management.
Lotha Hoho chairman Mhondamo, representing civil society, said that human-elephant conflict has claimed more than 10 lives in the district. He acknowledged the government’s initiative and assured support and cooperation for the success of conservation efforts.
In a similar move, the Forest Utilisation Office, Dimapur, has been restructured as the Mon Wildlife Division, with headquarters at Mon, covering Mon and Longleng districts. As per the notification, functions previously handled by the Forest Utilisation Officer will now be carried out by the Conservator of Forests, Research, Planning & Utilisation (RPU), Dimapur.