The Forest Department reiterated its assurance to residents in forest areas that their welfare would be factored in while undertaking conservation, during the Wildlife Week celebration at Thalavadi, on Thursday.
For the first time, the district-level function was conducted in a core part of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and there was encouraging response from the local public constituting members of Village Forest Committees, students of tribal welfare schools, members of tribal communities, and women self-help groups who constituted the audience, Conservator of Forests and STR Field Director I. Anwardeen said.
The Forest Department utilised the opportunity to thank the people for sustaining the forest cover in the district that accounts for 10 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s forest area.
While the STR, the State’s largest, is spread over 1,400 square km across Sathyamangalam and Hasanur divisions, the Erode division has a forest cover spread over 800 square km, Mr. Anwardeen said.
“Keen observation by the audience to the speeches of conservation managers was a good sign for forging partnerships for safeguarding forest cover,” Mr. Anwardeen said.
Earlier in the day, District Collector S. Prabakar flagged off ‘Save Tiger Campaign Bike-Rally’ organised by Erode-based Royal Riders’ Family in the presence of District Forest Officer of Erode Nagarajan at the VOC Ground.
Elsewhere in the district, students of Kamadhenu College took out a public awareness rally in Sathyamangalam town in coordination with Nature and Geo Society, which also organised a similar rally by school students in Thalavadi.
At Hasanur, District Forest Officer and Deputy Director, STR, C.H. Padma, joined Sub-Collector of Gobichettipalayam Krishnan Unni in inaugurating Wildlife Awareness Photo Exhibition conducted in coordination with Coimbatore-based Osai.
