📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Sahriar ahmed tasvir
Science
Manipur Forest Chief Calls for Public‑Led Wildlife Conservation Drive
✍️ Northeast Today
🗓 05 Oct 2026, 09:37 PM
👁 13
The chief of Manipur’s Forest Department urged that wildlife protection shift from a top‑down approach to a grassroots movement, emphasizing community participation.
Manipur’s Forest Department chief addressed the media this week, stressing that effective wildlife protection can no longer rely solely on government directives. He highlighted the growing threats of poaching, habitat fragmentation and illegal trade that demand a broader, people‑centric response.
The official argued that local communities, who live alongside forests and wildlife, must become active partners in monitoring, reporting violations and promoting sustainable livelihoods. By involving villagers, schools and civil‑society groups, the department hopes to create a continuous vigilance network that complements official enforcement.
He outlined a set of initiatives the department plans to roll out, including awareness workshops in remote villages, training programs for youth volunteers, and collaborations with NGOs to develop alternative income sources such as eco‑tourism and handicrafts. These measures aim to turn conservation into a shared responsibility rather than a top‑down mandate.
State authorities have expressed support for the chief’s vision, noting that community‑driven models have yielded positive results in other parts of the Northeast. The department will monitor progress through regular feedback mechanisms and adjust strategies based on ground‑level inputs.
The call for a people’s movement underscores a broader shift in India’s environmental policy, where citizen engagement is increasingly seen as essential to safeguarding biodiversity for future generations.
The official argued that local communities, who live alongside forests and wildlife, must become active partners in monitoring, reporting violations and promoting sustainable livelihoods. By involving villagers, schools and civil‑society groups, the department hopes to create a continuous vigilance network that complements official enforcement.
He outlined a set of initiatives the department plans to roll out, including awareness workshops in remote villages, training programs for youth volunteers, and collaborations with NGOs to develop alternative income sources such as eco‑tourism and handicrafts. These measures aim to turn conservation into a shared responsibility rather than a top‑down mandate.
State authorities have expressed support for the chief’s vision, noting that community‑driven models have yielded positive results in other parts of the Northeast. The department will monitor progress through regular feedback mechanisms and adjust strategies based on ground‑level inputs.
The call for a people’s movement underscores a broader shift in India’s environmental policy, where citizen engagement is increasingly seen as essential to safeguarding biodiversity for future generations.