All Activities Must Be Conducted To Safe Guards Natural Wildlife Habitats And Upholds The Principles Of Harmonious Coexistence Says CM Vishnu Deo Sai

All activities must be conducted to safeguards natural wildlife habitats and upholds the principles of harmonious coexistence Chief Minister Shri Sai

Meeting of Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai

The 16th meeting of the Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board on Friday cleared key proposals and decided to forward them to the National Wildlife Board for final approval.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s residence office under the chairmanship of Shri Vishnu Deo Sai. Members reviewed the action taken report of the previous meeting and deliberated on new agenda items before arriving at the decision.

Stressing the need to safeguard flora and fauna Shri Sai said, “Wildlife is an invaluable heritage of nature and collective efforts are essential for its conservation and promotion. Proactive measures including continuous monitoring for wildlife protection, curbing illegal activities, and encouraging public participation in safeguarding wildlife should be ensured.” He also underlined the need to raise awareness among villagers living near forests and ensure the active involvement of youth. Emphasising the principle of minimum interference, he said only essential works should be carried out in natural wildlife habitats without any disturbance. He called for all activities to be conducted in accordance with the principles of coexistence.

The meeting approved the formation of the Standing Committee of the Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board. The committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Forest and Climate Change Minister and will include 11 other members. Notably, the opinion of the State Wildlife Board is mandatory for proposals related to works in ecologically significant wildlife areas. Due to long gaps between board meetings, delays often occur in approvals. The formation of the standing committee will help ensure quicker statutory clearances and faster resolution of wildlife management issues.

The meeting approved several proposals, including renovation and new works for the Barbanda reservoir dam and canals under Udanti–Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, strengthening of the road from Pandripani Main Road to Sauru in Kawardha forest division of Kabirdham district under the PM Janman Yojana, six proposals related to laying optical fibre in the Guru Ghasidas National Park area, laying optical fibre in Semarsot Sanctuary, establishment of a CRPF camp in Udanti–Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, and additional optical fibre work in the reserve. It was agreed to forward these proposals to the National Wildlife Board for approval.

Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap, MLA Shri Dharamjeet Singh, Chief Secretary Shri Vikas Sheel, Additional Chief Secretary Smt Richa Sharma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force Shri V Srinivas Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Shri Arun Kumar Pandey, along with other board members and officials, were present at the meeting.