Expert talks on saving & creating grasslands

Pune: The forest department’s Pune division organised

talks

to celebrate the World Environment Day on Monday.

Chief conservator of forests – territorial, Vivek Khandekar said the first talk centred around botanist GD Muratkar and his efforts of converting an abandoned village into a pasture. “As per the law, no villages are permitted within protected areas of a reserve as is the case with the Melghat Tiger Reserve. At Melghat, a village that had been relocated from the reserve area was converted similarly,” he said.

Muratkar spoke about various grass varieties and the process of converting abandoned areas into useful features of a protected area. “This knowledge could help in protecting

grasslands

around Pune, including the ones in Kadbanwadi, Durga Devi and Purandar,” Khandekar said.

The second talk focused on the world of insects, their life cycle, habitats, behaviour and other traits. Meanwhile, the Indian Railways with the state forest department inaugurated a Wildlife Art Exhibit at Pune railway station on Sunday. Railway minister Suresh Prabhu addressed the ceremony via video-conferencing during the event. The event was also attended by BJP MP Anil Shirole and actor Jackie Shroff.


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