With focus on contribution of water scarcity in forest areas to the escalation of human-wild animal conflict, a 11-day capacity building programme on ‘Field Engineering Training for Forest Watershed Management’ for Forest Range Officers got under way at the Regional Centre of the Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation here on Tuesday.
Inaugurating the programme, Project Director of Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) Srinivas R. Reddy said that due to various factors water conservation in forest areas had assumed considerable importance. Underscoring the importance of watershed management, he said that henceforth all departments would be expected to implement schemes only on watershed basis.
District Forest Officer, the Nilgiris South, C. Badhrasami said that in habitat protection high priority should be accorded to water conservation.
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Adverting to the unique aspects of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, he said that it should be protected at all costs. Head of the Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Regional Centre, O.P.S. Khola, who presided, emphasised the role of Forest Range Officers in ensuring that the forests remained healthy.
Faculty, Central Academy for State Forest Service, K. Ramesh Kumar, and training coordinator S. Manivannan spoke.