Innovative initiative for empowerment of tribal youth in forest areas of Chhattisgarh under the guidance of CM Vishnudev Sai
Chhattisgarh Forest Department is continuously taking important initiatives to protect the interests of tribal forest dwellers in the state and for environmental and wildlife conservation. Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai and Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap have well understood the challenges faced by the youth of tribal communities and the need for biodiversity conservation. Under their visionary leadership, a comprehensive strategy has been prepared to empower these communities and conserve the rich natural heritage of the state of Chhattisgarh. chhattisgarh
chhattisgarh news Chhattisgarh Forest Department has recently launched a unique skill development training program under the Green Skill Development Program initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. The objective of this innovative initiative is to make the tribal youth living in the forest areas of Chhattisgarh self-reliant by providing them special training and certification. Under this program, the youth are being trained in an important subject like parataxonomy, which is very important for biodiversity conservation.
Parataxonomy is a method in which quick identification and classification of various species is done for biological research. This method is especially useful in biodiversity-rich areas like Chhattisgarh. After this training, the trained youth can work in various professions like National Park Guide, Tourist Guide, Nature Camp Manager, Traditional Doctor and can get employment opportunities in institutions like Botanical Survey of India and Zoological Survey of India.
Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap said that in our state, under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, many schemes have been made for the welfare of the tribes. Due to the proper implementation of which all the people are getting timely benefits. Sharing the concept behind this training program, Forest Force Chief of Chhattisgarh State Shri V. Srinivas Rao said that this initiative is an important step towards involving local communities in the biodiversity conservation of Chhattisgarh. This training not only increases the employment prospects of the youth, but also provides an opportunity to preserve traditional knowledge about local flora and fauna and hand it over to the next generation.
Chairman of Chhattisgarh State Biodiversity Board Rakesh Chaturvedi emphasized the wide impact of this initiative and said that this program is not just a training course. This is a transformational opportunity for the tribal youth of Chhattisgarh. By imparting skills in parataxonomy we are fostering a generation that is not only knowledgeable about its environment but is also committed to preserving it. Rajesh Kumar Chandele, IFS, Member Secretary, Chhattisgarh State Biodiversity Board, spoke about the important role of parataxonomy in environmental conservation and said that parataxonomy helps in ecosystem monitoring and resource conservation by identifying bioindicator plants.
Out of the 53 participants who attended this training, 40 were tribal youth with educational background ranging from 10+2 to graduation and came from various forest divisions like Kanker, Kondagaon, Keshkal, Bhanupratappur and Narayanpur. The training program was organized at Chhattisgarh State Forest Research and Training Institute from 22 July to 18 August. During this 30-day training, the participants participated in both classroom teaching and fieldwork, in which they visited sites like Jungle Safari, Mohrega, Sirpur, Arjuni, Barnawapara and Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary and identified and documented various species. During the training, 93 types of macrofungi, 153 types of flora, 47 medicinal plants and 187 types of seeds were identified and documented.
This training has proved to be extremely beneficial for the participants. Dr. Neetu Harmukh, Senior Scientist, Chhattisgarh State Biodiversity Board played an important role in this training. She said that all the participants were eager and eager to learn skills in parataxonomy. Sharing his experience, Tribhuvan Kumar Karga, a 24-year-old tribal youth from Dumrapani village in Kanker district said, “After receiving training in parataxonomy, my confidence has definitely increased. Now new avenues of income generation have opened up for me. Similarly, Rakesh Netam, a 39-year-old tribal community participant from village Mudhowa Charama, Kanker district said that this training has given me the knowledge to understand the biodiversity of our forests. Now I feel an important responsibility towards the conservation of natural resources.
Tribal women have also benefited a lot from this program. Ms. Divya Markam, a 22-year-old woman from Baderajpur Vishampuri village of Kondagaon district said that as a woman from a tribal area, opportunities for special education and employment have been limited. I have gained a new experience from this training of para taxonomy, it will provide us new employment opportunities and will also empower tribal women. Along with this, the area’s biodiversity has also increased.
