Dharmendra Prakash, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force (PCCF & HoFF), Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Nagaland travelled to Kiphire District on 4 October. He was received by the officers and staff of the Kiphire Divisional Forest Office. Later, he interacted with the forest personnel of the division.

On 5 October, the PCCF & HoFF, who is also the Chief Project Director of Nagaland Forest Management Project, a project assisted by JICA, travelled to Penkim Village and met the members of the Village Council Members and Joint Forest Management Committee.

In Penkim, he inspected the Community Kitchen and Church Water Tank constructed through the project under EPA (Entry Point Activity) and WHS (Water Harvesting Structure), respectively. He also inspected the NFMP Nursery.

Penkim village.

NFMP nursery.

Thereafter, he travelled to Fakim Village to attend the Wildlife Week Celebration held on 6 October, which was organized by the Kiphire Wildlife Division in collaboration with Kiphire Forest Division.

PCCF & HoFF Dharmendra Prakash speaking at the Wildlife Week Celebration 2022 in Kiphire.

With this visit, Prakash becomes the first PCCF & HoFF to visit Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary. He met the representatives from the Village Council Members, Anti-Poaching Squad, students union and others.

Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary.

The intention of his visit was to gauge the sentiment of the people so that their issues and challenges can be better addressed in the future. He was briefed by the Kiphire Wildlife Warden on the status of all the activities been undertaken for the protection and conservation of the sanctuary as well as in the eco-sensitive zone and buffers areas. Later, the PCC & HoFF participated with the village elders and representatives from the adjoining villages in singing folk songs.