Siliguri

The Chief Conservator of Forest in North Bengal recently received a memorandum from 12 non-profit organizations, encompassing 19 demands related to wildlife protection and conservation. These organizations collaborated and delivered the memorandum to the forest department office situated in the Jabravita area near Siliguri on a Tuesday. This region has been a focal point of concern due to changes in the river’s course, caused by illicit sand extraction, affecting elephant movement and leading to significant human-elephant conflicts, thereby complicating elephant conservation efforts. In the memorandum, the organizations highlighted these challenges. Kaustav Chowdhury, a representative from one of the organizations, disclosed that various topics regarding wildlife conservation were covered in the memorandums presented to the Chief Forest Officer.

In response, the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Ujjal Ghosh, proposed a post-Durga Puja meeting to address these issues and expressed the forest agency’s intention to establish a collaborative platform with voluntary organizations for in-depth discussions. Additionally, they plan to engage the army in addressing these concerns.