More Naga villages join community-led conservation network

Kohima, Jan 31 (PTI) Aiming to expand and consolidateactive community participation in eco conservation campaign ineastern part of Nagaland, 14 more villages have joined aconservation network to protect a contiguous green canopy thatfalls under their jurisdictions.

Chingmei village under Tuensang hosted a meeting ofthe elders from 14 villages yesterday which resolved to joinEastern Nagaland Conservation Area Network (ENCAN) afterdeliberating on the need for sustained use of forest cover andother bio-resources.

With these 14 villages joining the network, the totalnumber of villages under the ENCAN now reaches 72 villageswith more villages are likely to join the people-led campaign,ENCAN office bearers said.

They said the participants in the meeting agreed thatit was not only the need for conservation of rich naturalheritage of the border area but it was also an urgent need toregenerate the fallow lands (abandoned jhum land) contiguousto the existing community reserved forests.

The 14 villages are the custodians of one of thelargest pristine forest covers in Nagaland with many flora andfauna.

The ENCAN was formed on December 9 last year atTuensang in a gathering of 45 villages stretching across theeastern belt from Aboi area in Mon district south ward toSaramati range.