GUWAHATI: In bid to foster “multi-agencies synergy” in the battle against increasing wildlife crime across the Northeast, a sensitisation workshop was held at the office of the Biswanath Chariali Superintendent Police (SP) recently.
Organised by Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organisation, in collaboration with the Biswanath Police, the workshop was held under the initiative “Disrupt and End Trade of Endangered and Rare Species“ (DETERS).
SP Subhashish Barua, while inaugurating the event, acknowledged the efforts put in by the organisers and the invaluable assistance it provided to Village Defence Parties (VDPs). The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Assam Police, Northern Range, Bijoygiri Kuligam, also graced the event.
In a comprehensive endeavour to equip the police personnel from various police stations under the Biswanath Chariali Police district of Assam, Ivy Farheen Hussain, Project Officer of Aaranyak, provided an intricate insight into the contemporary wildlife crime scenario.
With a specific focus on the menace of rhino poaching, she explained the intricate web wherein international and national criminal syndicates collaborate to poach rhinos and other precious wildlife species across the Northeast.
Ajoy Kumar Das, a practitioner in the Gauhati High Court and lawyer of Aaranyak, extended his expertise to enlighten the police personnel on the pertinent sections encompassed by the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, which was further enriched through amendments in 2022.
Subsequent to the workshop’s conclusion, another sensitisation programme engaging the dedicated members of the Village Defence Party (VDP) too was held at the Biswanath Sadar Police Station. The programme facilitated an interactive dialogue between experts from various fields and the VDP members. About 60 individuals from six VDPs in Biswanath, including five steadfast female members, received raincoats and shoes sponsored by the UK-based David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) at the do.
Present at the event was Jatindra Mohan Das, Ranger (Crime) of the 6th Addition of Kaziranga National Park (KNP), among others.
