CM Sarbananda Sonowal chairs governing body meeting of CAMPA

The decision was taken with a view to mitigate man-animal conflicts which have been on the rise now to meet the targeted requirements of the wild-lives and help them not to venture out of their habitats. Chief Minister Sonowal asked the Forest department to prepare a roadmap for the programme and implement it at the earliest to aid to the conservation, protection and management of wild-lives and their habitats, stated a release. Under the programme the forest department would identity animal habitats especially elephant concentrated areas and the areas infamous for man-animal conflicts and execute the programme on a priority basis.

It may be noted that the activity will be carried out within and outside the protected areas and create more food in terms of raising more trees for the herbivores. The Chief Minister also asked for creating more water bodies for the elephants.

Chief Minister Sonowal while taking stock of the works undertaken by CAMPA, asked the functionaries to be rigorous in their approach in compensatory afforestation, conservation, protection, regeneration and management of existing natural forests. He also asked CAMPA functionary to expedite the work of setting up of Assam Institute of Wildlife and prepare a DPR. To give CAMPA a concrete shape, the meeting also deliberated on setting up a CAMPA campus and agreed on identifying a location for the same.

Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, Additional Chief Secretary Forest Jishnu Baruah, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sanjay Lohiya, Principal Secretary Forest Avinash Joshi, Principal Secretary Finance Samir Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Dr. J. B. Ekka, PCCF A. M. Singh, CEO CAMPA and other senior officers were present at the meeting.

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