Jakhama, Zhadima and Sendenyu villages were gifted with Green Boxes on March 26. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Kohima | March 26
Three villages under Kohima district were presented with 'Green Box', a collection of 51 books on environment, conservation, wildlife today by Kohima Forest Division at the Principal Chief Conservators of Forests (PCCFs) office complex.
Speaking about the Project Future, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kohima Rajkumar M said that the project, an outreach initiative to create environmental awareness in villages, was initiated by the department in April 2020 where online competitions were held for school students. An innovative video using Jinga to demonstrate the extinction of species or awareness by keeping signages with the use of memes etc were conducted.
The DFO, while describing books as an element of change, hoped that more impact would be created through the pilot project.
The Green Box contains 51 both new and used books on environment, conservation, wildlife etc with the aim to enable young people and children in the villages to utilize the books for the purpose of education, information and awareness.
Three villages- Jakhama from Jakhama sub-division, Zhadima under Chiephobozou and Sendenyu under Tseminyu Subdivision were gifted the boxes.
The officer meanwhile said that the project is aimed to continue and cover more villages. In this regard, feedbacks will be collected after two months and another three villages will be given the same.
He further encouraged the general public or officials to become part of the project by means of suggesting books, contributing new and used books so that once the boxes are filled, it can be sent to villages.
To suggest or donate books on this subject, one can mail kohimaDMO@gmail.com.
PCCF & HoFF, Environment, Forests & Climate Change Nagaland Dharmendra Prakash opined that it is very crucial to tap the knowledge that has been with the forefathers since there is a lot to learn from people who have practiced conservation for generations.
"Any person who has spent more time in the village is more professional in forestry and conservation than people in the office," he underscored.
Towards this, he said knowledge is two-way. One is from document in the book and the other is from the people and that there are many things to learn from people who have been practicing conservation.
Stating that negative connotations on hunting or shifting cultivation practices have been tagged to Nagaland in the past, he however said that the State has proven its strength in various ways.
"Over a period of time we have proven that shifting cultivation is not harmful as it posited. More than 500 villages have recommitted to conservation. Forests here are in the hands of the community and as such forest cover has always been better than the national average," he pointed out.
We need to continue practicing these qualities and highlight our strengths, he added.
As such, the officer said that knowledge transmission is an important call and we need to learn from people who have practiced conservation.
Towards this end, he advised the division to encourage children from the villages covered to write articles and get the works published adding that the hesitation of glass ceiling needs to be broken at an early stage.
He also called for the programme to continue until all the villages are covered.
The programme was chaired by Pezaneino Chielie, Ranger, Kohima Range while Dr Sevono Seletsu, ACF Kohima Forest Division pronounced the vote of thanks.
