Feb 03, 2003 06:54 AM
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(Updated Feb 03, 2003 06:54 AM)
The Ministry of Environment & Forests is a relatively new Ministry of the Government of India, having a dynamic Minister, Ms. Maneka Gandhi, widow of Sanjay Gandhi. It is the nodal Ministry for the planning, promotion and coordination of all programmes relating to environment and forestry. Its principal activities are conservation and survey of flora, fauna, forests and wildlife; prevention and control of pollution, afforestation and regeneration of degraded areas and protection of environment, in the framework of legislatures.
The Ministry has some excellent institutions for training the forest officers. The Indian Forest College at Dehradun is the oldest and best in the country. The Indian Forest College at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu is equally good. Both the colleges train Assistant Conservators and Rangers. The recruits of the Indian Forest Service are also trained here. There is a Forest Rangers Training School at Angul in Orissa. At Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, is the Indian Institute of Forest Management to conduct research and training programmes in modern methods of forest management. Once I was here to attend a seminar on Training Methods, and I was quite pleased to see the outfit.
The Forest Officers all over the country wear Khaki Uniform and they look like Police Officers.I think that their uniform should be in a colour which is a shade lighter than Olive Green.
Angul is the seat of the Conservator of Forests, and at Tikarpara, on the bank of the Mahanadi , there is a Crocodile Hatching Centre and a good Forest Rest House, where one can stay on prior reservation.
There are Wildlife Sanctuaries in different parts of the country. Bandipur in Karnataka is one of them. In Orissa, the Wildlife Sanctuaries are at Similipal in Mayurbhanj District, at Nandan Kanan, near Bhubaneswar and at Gahir Matha in Bhitar Kanika, in the Kendrapara District. This one is famous for the rare variety of Olive Ridley Tortoises.
Our wonderful flora and fauna need protection. Our Zoological Gardens have to be full of animals and birds; and should be maintained properly. We must grow herbal gardens and organise a mass education programme on protection of our environment.
There is nothing new in the modern methods of protecting the environment. Environment has been very dear to humanity, and there are some plants which are worshipped and adored by us. Vanaspati is held by us in respect. Let this be the subject of a mass education campaign.
