BGSBU organises public outreach program for Tribal Communities of Pir Panjal Range.

SHYAM SOOD
RAJOURI NOVEMBER 25:–Commemorating the ‘Aazadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, Department of Botany & Environmental Sciences, BGSBU in collaboration with WWF India, Field Office Rajouri & School of Rural Development and Environment on Thursday organised a public outreach program for Tribal Communities of Pir Panjal Region ( especially Rajouri & Poonch districts) of UT of J&K.
The topic of the public outreach program was the ‘Consultation of the stakeholders from the Nomadic Communities towards a vision for sustainable management of Rangelands of Pir Panjal’. “The motive of the Programme was to sensitise the tribal communities about the conservation and sustainable management of alpine pastures to cater to the needs of the nomadic communities,” said organisers.
Congratulating the organisers for highlighting very important & relevant issues of conservation of ecosystems with community participation Prof.Akbar Masood, VC, BGSBU said: “such programs go a long way in sustainable use of biodiversity in harmony with humans”.
Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, Chairman, School of Rural Development and Environment highlighted the bylaws which originated out of consistent discussion and interaction of NGO’s with tribal communities for the proper management of pastures.
A renowned member of the tribal community Adv Ayaz Ahmed Zaki highlighted how tribal communities used to coexist with nature in harmony in the past.
“With the development of infrastructures like roads, transmission lines, and other developmental projects, a lot of impacts has been thereupon the sustainability of the pastures and in the lifestyle of the tribal communities in rangelands,” he said.
Prof. Iqbal Parvez, Dean Academic Affairs suggested to the organisers to educate and learn from the mutual interaction of the tribal and the scientific communities so that the pasturelands are properly managed and their resources are sustainably used.
Dr Susheel Verma, Associate Dean, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology impressed upon the participants to follow the bylaws as suggested by them to WWF & SRDC for their existence in such areas of the Pir Panjal so that structure and resources of rangelands are saved.
Dr. Shreekar Pant, Coordinator, Centre for Biodiversity Studies, spoke about the relevance of the program and appealed to all the stakeholders to contribute towards sustainable utilization of the bio-resources in Pir Panjal.
Rohit Rattan, Associate Coordinator, In-charge Western Himalayan Programme, WWF, India, Field Office Rajouri presented the context of the outreach program and threw light on the background of the initiatives and continuous interactions with communities to sustainably manage and conserve Pir Panjal rangelands.
Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary Tribal Affairs J&K Government, highlighted the Government’s schemes & policies related to conservation, management, & sustainable use of biodiversity by Nomads and Tribes of Pir Panjal region.
He extended Department’s full cooperation to BGSBU and the collaborators for the implementation of those schemes at the ground level to address tribal communities’ issues & to dispel their fears.
Dr. Mamta Bhat, Assistant Professor conducted the proceedings of the program & suggested following the deliberations and recommendations that emerged.