LAGATAR 24 NETWORK
Daltonganj, August 1: The Eco Development Committee (EDC) of Rabdi village under the Betla range of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) has earned a mark of it.
Its efforts in anti-poaching, nabbing of poachers, forest fire management, awareness about man-wildlife conflict and raising public opinion against illegal grazing of cattle in the forest of the PTR were recognized and appreciated by Chief Minister Hemant Soren very recently.
Deputy Director North division of the PTR Prajesh K Jena said today, “EDC acts as a bridge between the village and the forest department. The role of the EDC is immense. The forest department genuinely promotes a EDC for better coordination.”
Jena said the head of the Rabdi EDC under the Betla range Birender Singh was recently given a cheque worth Rs 5,001 by Chief Minister Hemant Soren for his outstanding work and contribution to contain and control poaching, nabbing of poachers, timely intervention for the containment of the forest fires, awareness and mitigating measures of the man wildlife conflict and the illicit grazing of farmers’ cattle in the territory of the tiger reserve.
The EDC offers an avenue for participatory forest management as when surface fire erupts in the jungles of the PTR, it’s the villagers who rub shoulders with the ground staff of the PTR to contain and control the fire. It is also equally true that most of the surface forest fires in the PTR are man-made where the folly of one or two villagers brings in a huge loss of grasses and biodiversities.
