Workshop on conservation held at Assam University

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: A consultative workshop was organized by Assam University in collaboration with GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Almora, Uttarakhand, on Wednesday to assess the conservation and developmental needs of Barak valley and hill districts like Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. Various stakeholders like progressive farmers of Cachar, State government agencies, experts from renowned academic and research institutions, distinguished faculty members and research staff and scholars of Assam University, attended the workshop. The workshop was primarily aimed at identifying key gap areas for futuristic actions and sustainable interventions, to enable documentation and conservation actions for RET and endemic flora, ex-situ conservation of medicinal plants, their propagation and cultivation like Agar and to suggest suitable technologies for mitigation of impacts due to use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in the region.

The programme commenced with the felicitation of the dignitaries Dr. Kireet Kumar, Scientist-G and Nodal Officer, Almora, Uttarakhand and Dr R. Kaodali, Director, Ministry of Forest Environment and Climate Change, New Delhi, Prof. Rajiv Mohan Pant, Vice Chancellor, Assam University. This was followed by a welcome address by Prof. Piyush Pandey of Microbiology, Assam University, who extended his formal welcome to Dr. Kireet Kumar, Dr. R. Kodali, panel of experts namely; Prof. S.K. Barik, NEHU, Shillong, Prof. Arun Saraf, IIT-Roorkee, Sri Shailesh Panwar, Uttarakhand, and other.

In his speech, Dr. Prodosh Kiran Nath, Registrar of Assam University, expressed his pleasure in the steps taken by Assam University to develop the Barak region. During the programme, the dignitaries released the flood relief report prepared by the Social Work department of Assam University. The inaugural session was also marked by the address from Prof. Rajiv Mohan Pant, Vice Chancellor, Assam University, Silchar, who highlighted the potential of Barak valley for development.

The technical session started with a keynote presentation by Prof. Rajiv Mohan Pant who deliberated and discussed the diverse issues of rural entrepreneurship development, ecotourism and employment generation in the Barak Valley, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao by sharing various success stories on community-based ecotourism in Meghalaya, Rural tourism in Nepal and Sikkim. He also shared the success stories on the value addition of local resources from northeast India and other parts of the country. The session mainly focuses on the spring inventory and revival of different springs in the Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong.

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