Drive to protect nature launched in Gumla

Gumla: The state department of forest, environment and climate change launched the Life Style For Environment (Life) campaign and ‘Vriksh Raksha Bandhan programme’ at the divisional forest office (DFO) in Gumla on Wednesday. The department members also interacted with the officer bearers and the members of Van Raksha Samitis.The members of over 15 samitis took a pledge in the presence of Jharkhand additional principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF) Sanjiv Kumar, conservator of forest (CF) Thanga Pandiyan, and Gumla divisional forest officer Ahmad Belal Anwar to preserve environment.APCCF Kumar said, “One rivulet in each of the forest divisions in Jharkhand will be treated and check dams constructed to harvest rain water during the upcoming rainy season.”He also requested for a list of check dams from the members of samitis and urged them to restart lac cultivation on kusum and arjun trees in order to raise their income. “If bamboo trees are planted, the department would impart training to the bamboo artists also,” Kumar added.Kumar directed Anwar to peruse the village-wise micro plan prepared during his stint as the Gumla DFO from 2000 to 2005 to ascertain which works envisioned in the same are to be executed and organised regular meeting with VRSs. “This micro plan would also require support from other departments,” he said.A samiti member from Kuru Soko village under Raidih block, Goloria Tikey, raised the issue of elephant menace in her village. “We need immediate release of the compensation amount to reconstruct houses demolished by tuskers before the rainy season. All our crops have also been damaged by wild elephants,” she urged. She also demanded the installation of street lights to spot elephants whenever these enter the village.
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