Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Village Guards, C.L John called on the community to unite to conserve the environment and tackle environmental issues, mentioning that for any development to take place, there should be understanding among the community members.
He was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for establishment of Divisional Management Unit (DMU) office at Tseminyu on April 12, at Forest Colony Tseminyu.
He said the foundation stone ceremony was successful because of the unity among all community members along with the department and government.
The minister also encouraged the people to be well versed about the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and asked the community members to learn about the Act to protect the wildlife. There may be flora in the forest but if there is no wildlife in the forest, it will disturb the ecological balance, he said.
He therefore, encouraged the village members to not hunt wildlife but to conserve them and also to preserve the environment.
He said, under Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP), plantation was one of the objectives to address the issue of climate change. In this regard, he said it was not only the work of the department to plant trees, but the community must come forward in the noble initiative of planting trees.
The programme was attended by Mhonbemo Patton, IAAS, Principal Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Jwenga Seb, MLA and chairman DPDB, Tseminyu, Dharmendra Prakash, PCCF & HoFF, Nagaland, Dr Sevono Seletsu, DFO & DMU Head, Kohima and Yhuntilo Kent, Range Forest Officer, Tseminyu.
Addressing the gathering, Mhonbemo Patton, IAAS, Principal Secretary, department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change said Tseminyu was a well deserving district, as it was strategically connected with other districts of the State.
Mentioning that Tseminyu is a well educated district, he urged the gathering to move forward through unity and cooperation. He also encouraged the people to solve and address any obstacles through discussion and mutual understanding.
Also speaking on the occasion, Jwenga Seb, MLA said, the biggest wealth of humans was the recourses of the rich forests and environment and therefore must learn to preserve the rich biodiversity of the State.
He also highlighted about the Green District Initiative of the Tseminyu district, which is aimed at fostering environmental consciousness and awareness among the people. He expressed hope that the initiative along with the collaboration with Forest department will help in achieving a shared vision.
Welcoming the gathering, Dr. Sevono Seletsu, DFO & DMU Head Kohima said, the laying of the foundation stone was not just a start of a physical structure but a symbol of the vision and commitment of NFMP and its lasting impact towards uplifting the community.
The programme was chaired by Dharmendra Prakash, PCCF & HoFF, Nagaland. An SHG member from Terogvunyu, Batch – II village, Rosy Semy shared her experiences on how NFMP has uplifted the SHG members.