Itanagar: Governor Lieutenant General K.T. Parnaik on Thursday laid the foundation stone of Eastern Himalayas Faunal Repository Building at Zoological Survey of India, Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre here.
Parnaik said that the Repository Building should not only be a place to store faunal collections, but also to educate the public in the North Eastern Region, residents or visitors about the faunal wealth and the enormous variety of fauna and rich biodiversity.
He suggested the use of technology in highlighting the fauna and flora that abounds in Arunachal Pradesh through niche documentary and photography. Our natural environmental biodiversity resources must be marketed to attract tourists, he emphasized.
Commending the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) for its environmental protection related activities, particularly the ‘Green skilling of volunteers’, the Governor advised the organization to train tribal communities in scientifically protecting the fauna and flora resources.
Parnaik said that environmental consciousness and preservation must be included in the school curriculum by the State Government, with the help of ZSI.
The Governor suggested the ZSI can contribute to promotion of ecology cum adventure tourism in the State in coordination with the State Environment and Forests Department and all stakeholders. He said that it will facilitate in creating awareness, protection and sustenance of the environment in its natural form.
Pointing to the imbalanced ratio of scientists and non-scientists officials in scientific institutions, the Governor advised training local scientists to meet the requirements of ZSI.
Parnaik also called upon the people and all stakeholders to put in concerted effort to curb the illegal wildlife trade, encroachment of forest areas, and uncontrolled expansion of industries near forest land.
Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre, ZSI, Itanagar, is the 15th Regional Centre of the 108 year old ZSI, a premier research organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
ZSI, Itanagar is tasked with the exploration, survey, inventorying and monitoring of the faunal diversity of the Eastern Himalayas that encompasses the entire State of Arunachal Pradesh, covering all ecosystems and Protected Areas. It carries out taxonomic studies of all faunal components collected from the State, besides undertaking periodic review of the status of Threatened and Endemic species, preparation of Red Data Book and database for recorded species and documentation of the fauna of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Regional Centre maintains and develops the National Zoological Collections (NZC) that houses the voucher specimens collected from different parts of Arunachal Pradesh since its inception.
Arunachal Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Forces Jitendra Kumar, IFS, Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director, ZSI, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, GoI, Kolkata and Dr. C. Raghunathan, Additional Director, ZSI, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, GoI, Kolkata and Scientist-E & Officer-in-Charge of ZSI, Itanagar Dr. S.D. Gurumayum also spoke on the occasion. They highlighted the presence of rich fauna in the Eastern Himalayas, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, including rare species which is a matter of National Pride.
Large numbers of zoologists, researchers and officials from different educational institutions and organizations including Govind Ballabh Pant ‘National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Itanagar, Botanical Survey of India and Geological Survey of India attended the function.
The Governor also released a book, titled ‘Amphibians of Arunachal Pradesh’ authored by Bhaskar Saikia, Bikramjit Sinha and Kirty Prosad Nath. He also released posters on Sela macaque (Macaca selai), a new primate, White bellied heron and new fish species discovered from Arunachal Pradesh from 1839 to 2022, which stands at 65 species.
