Kalimpong,
April 6: The International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development will launch a programme aimed at preserving the
wildlife sanctuaries while ensuring that the human population
is not deprived of livelihood.
The project to be conducted with the help
of NGOs and forest departments will cover the trans-Himalayan
region. The centre will also help to promote an economically
sound ecosystem that will improve the living standards of
the mountain population.
Helped by the Eco-Tourism and Conservation
Society of Sikkim, the organisation has already started a
training programme yesterday that will continue till April
11.
Project director and a member of the centre,
Nakul Chettri, said: "One of the main reasons for starting
the programme is to conserve the wildlife sanctuaries in these
areas. The protected places are located in small pockets where
there is no migration of animals. As a result in-breeding
takes place, which is not a healthy sign. Our purpose is to
create corridors between the different sanctuaries in a particular
region," said Chettri.
Christened the Kanchenjunga Landscape, the
areas covered by the project will include Singhalila National
Park, Sinchel Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
and Neora Valley National Park in Darjeeling district, Kanchenzonga
Biosphere Reserve and Baresy Rhododendron Sanctuary in Sikkim
and Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in Nepal. The Toorsa Strict
Reserve and Jigme Dorjee National Park in Bhutan will also
come under the "preservation of landscape programme".
The other part of the project will concentrate
on training villagers residing near the sanctuaries and reserves
so that they do not use forest resources, like timber, to
sustain themselves. The centre plans to provide them with
alternative means of employment and livelihood to ensure that
the pressure on the forests is reduced.
"Training villagers is most important.
The people living in the villages surrounding the protected
areas disturb the eco-system of the place by felling trees
and poaching," said Chettri.
Courtesy
The Telegraph |
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