The Hindu : Kerala News : Southern strategy for conservation of forests

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Sunday, Nov 05, 2006
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Kerala

Southern strategy for conservation of forests

Special Correspondent

Setps to strengthen inter-State cooperation

CONSERVING FORESTS: Forest Ministers of Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, C. Chennigappa, Benoy Viswom and Vijayarama Raju Satrucharla, with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan at the Conference of Forest Ministers of Southern States in Thiruvanant hapuram on Saturday. - Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The two-day conference of Forest Ministers of the Southern States, which ended here on Saturday, decided to institutionalise cooperation between Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in forest conservation efforts.

Briefing the media after the conference, Forest Ministers of Kerala and Karnataka Benoy Viswom and C. Chennigappa said each of the four southern States would set up a `cell' within the respective Forest Departments for strengthening inter-State cooperation. The Divisional Forest Officers of border divisions of these States would meet once in three months to discuss issues and devise joint strategies to prevent forest offences. Officials at the higher levels would meet once in six months.

The States would develop and institutionalise protocols for joint patrolling, raids and protection camps in sensitive forest areas.

The States would strengthen communication network between forest divisions in inter-State borders and develop combined action plans for managing trans-border resources such as biosphere reserves, national parks and tiger reserves. The conference adopted a resolution for sharing technologies and methodologies for strengthening conservation efforts.

The southern States would develop interactive websites for providing information on best practices and protocols dealing with forest and wildlife offences, crime records, joint forest management and eco-tourism and have them linked to the website of the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment.

Senior officials of the Forest Departments of the States and other departments such as Customs, Police, Narcotics and Intelligence would meet at least once a year.

And each State would develop an intelligence wing of its own to share information on forest offences and crime trends with the other States on a regular basis.

The conference urged the Chief Ministers of the four States to request the Prime Minister to convene a conference of the Chief Ministers and Forest Ministers of all the States in the country to deliberate on problems related to forests and wildlife. It sought adequate funding and institutional support from the Centre for the conservation efforts of the States.

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