The Hindu : Kerala News : Honouring a veteran conservationist

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 22, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Honouring a veteran conservationist

K.K. Nair

"Only those with a certain aptitude and sensitivity to nature, biodiversity and wildlife ought to be selected for serving in the Forest Department. The desire to protect forests and wildlife must be made a precondition for recruitment to the forest service, just as aptitude is tested for other professions," says K.K. Nair former Chief Conservator of Forests, Kerala.

In a chat with The Hindu , Mr. Nair, who bagged the Schlich Memorial Prize for the best student in 1962-63, awarded by the Commonwealth Forest Institute, Oxford, went down memory lane on the career he had in the department, and how he could help stall degradation to a certain extent.

The Society for Protection of Environment, Kerala (Spek), is felicitating Mr. Nair in connection with his 85th birthday at the Alakapuri auditorium in Kozhikode on July 23.

The commendation comes in view of the contributions of Mr. Nair to forest conservationist and the proactive role he had played in effective forest management.

Mr. Nair, who is regarded as one of the most effective conservators, considers his role in setting up and developing Eravikulam, a habitat of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, and the Wayand wildlife sanctuaries as valuable contributions.

He was also instrumental in establishing the Teak Museum at Nilambur and the Kerala Forestry Research Institute at Peechi.

"Forest management is a combined operation, involving all sectors of employees. Emphasis needed to be given to field work in forests and plantations as a measure for better conservation.''

"The best years of my career was when I worked as a teacher at the forest training colleges at Dehradun and Coimbatore. Moving with young people and orienting them to the profession was a highly fulfilling experience."

Mr. Nair says the forest mafia had existed 50 years ago too, but with lesser power. Though legislation exists to conserve forests, political interference is proving to have a negative impact.

There is increased pressure on land because of the rise in population. Also, there are more man-animal conflicts now.

These will have to be contained within limits through trenching and putting up of electric wiring, to prevent encroachment especially in cultivated pockets adjacent the forests.

He says the concept of social forestry has relevance, but is often misunderstood and implemented as monoculture, of a few species.

He is happy about the increased awareness on nature conservation and the positive role that the media has been playing in protecting the environment.

He began his career in the department in the erstwhile Madras Presidency in 1947, before being inducted into the State service in the 1960s.

He passed out from the Indian Forestry College, Dehradun. He had served as Secretary, Forestry Commission, New Delhi, when the Forest Department was part of the Agriculture Ministry.

Maleeha Raghaviah

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