Arunachal: PCCF asked Officials to Monitor hunting and killing of wildlife during Unying Aaran festival
PASIGHAT ( By- Maksam Tayeng )- The PCCF (Wildlife & Biodiversity) cum Chief Wildlife Warden, have requested the DCs of East Siang, Siang and Upper Siang districts including the DFOs of both territorial forests, wildlife sanctuary and national park to monitor hunting and killing of wildlife during the Unying Aaran festival. The Unying Aaran festival of Adi communities is scheduled to be celebrated on the 1st and 2nd week of March next.
In a letter issued to the Dy. Commissioners today, the PCCF has requested them to create awareness among the community leaders and youths to refrain from hunting in general and during Unying Aaran festival in particular. PCCF has also instructed to all the DFOs and field staff of National Park, Wildlife Sanctuaries and territorial forests to have or conduct sensitization meetings with the Panchayats and Gaon Burahs in order to spread the message of hunting restriction and prohibition to save the wildlife of the state.
“It is known that the local people hunt large numbers of wild animals during the festival of Unying Aaran every year as an age-old practice. Wildlife is an integral component of forests and is essential for sustainable and ecological balance. Due to availability of modern guns the hunting of wildlife has become easy and rampant which has led to decrease of wild animals in the forests of the state and such rate of declining wildlife population is a matter of concern for all of us”, said PCCF Wildlife, Nyilyang Tam.
However, amidst this hunting and killing of wildlife concern, Tam has shown optimism over recent success stories wherein many communities in the state are voluntarily refraining themselves from hunting and use of wildlife articles and are also participating in the conservation of wildlife at the lines of Hornbill conservation and Gun surrender abhiyan.
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PCCF has also informed that he is likely to tour all the districts of Siang belts and other places where hunting activities take place at an alarming rate starting from 13th of February 2023 in order to spread wildlife protection and conservation message and to instill confidence among the people. The Chief Wildlife Warden has also reminded the people that the hunting of wildlife is an offence and is punishable under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
