Villagers pledge to protect forest

Our Correspondent

Kullu, May 25

Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) Director Bhupinder Singh Rana today said villagers of Shanghad and Suchen panchayats took an oath on the premises of the Shanchool Mahadev temple to protect forest and wildlife.

He said the villagers were motivated to protect forest and were made aware of the importance of protecting the wildlife. He said they took an oath before the deity that they would not indulge in poaching and protect trees. He said they also vowed to ward off other poachers and prevent illicit tree felling.

The director said the problems of the villagers were shared and most were resolved. He said methods to promote eco-tourism were discussed and villagers were apprised of the benefits of environment-friendly tourism activities. The move was aimed at spreading awareness of the conservation of the environment and providing direct benefit to the villagers and providing them alternate sources of livelihood.