Tripura Forest department is working on using the information technology for the protection of wildlife and conservation of forest. The Department is all set to launch a mobile application that will allow the public to report any violation of the wildlife and forest laws in real time. The application will be designed in such a way so that rapid response teams can be pressed into action immediately.
Forest Minister of Tripura Government, Mevar Kumar Jamatia hailed the move and said this initiative would help the forest troops to take a proactive role in putting a stop to wildlife trafficking, forest destruction.
Addressing the closing ceremony of Wildlife week 2020 at Heritage Park in Agartala, Jamatia said, “We, the humans for personal gains, are trying to encroach upon the space reserved for the animals. From today, we should take a pledge that equal treatment will be meted out to every living organism on the earth”.
Chief wildlife warden and head of forest force DK Sharma identified ‘wildlife trafficking’ as a major concern. Sharma said, “Our forest troops are doing their best. But, still after drugs and human trafficking, wildlife trafficking is the third highest illegal trade. Our intentions are clear. The forest department will not tolerate any violation of the wildlife Acts”.
Senior forest officer Amit Shukla, who is one of the key members behind this ambitious project of launching Mobile App said, “Despite this pandemic we have organized a number of competitions, webinars and discussion sessions online. The motto is to generate awareness on conservation of wildlife and this mobile application will enhance public participation with the job of forest people”.
Apart from that, Principal Secretary to Forest department BK Sahu, Chairman of Tripura Pollution Control Board and other higher officials of the department attended the function.
A number of awards were also distributed among the photographers, journalists, painters and people from other fields who have participated in competitions conducted by Tripura Biodiversity Board.
Among the newly introduced awards, Tripura Times won the first Green Newspaper award and Journalist Sudip Chandra Nath won the award of Green Reporter.
