BENGALURU: To assist people in cases related to man-animal conflict, district-level teams of the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) will be set up next year, Mohammed Tabrez Alam Shariff, chairman, Karnataka State Western Ghats Conservation Task Force (KSWGCTF), said on Monday.
NALSA was launched recently by the Union government to help people seeking compensation for crop loss, death and injuries due to attacks by wild animals. Professionals, experts and final-year law students will be part of NALSA teams. They will interact with people and officials and try to resolve all outstanding issues, he said.
“NALSA teams will also study reasons for the man-animal conflicts and recommend action,” Shariff said on the sidelines of the valedictory function of a workshop on ‘The Magnificent Aura of The Western Ghats of South India’ here.
Paintings depicting the rich flora and fauna and the destruction of the Western Ghats were displayed by artists and experts from across India.
Shariff said that a special purpose vehicle involving all state governments will be created soon for better coordination between officials and other stakeholders in dealing with cases related to man-animal conflict and initiating mitigation measures.
‘Western Ghats Samvaad’, a national-level workshop, involving representatives from all Western Ghats states will be held in Mangaluru in February.
“To regulate tourists, the chief minister has approved creation of a dedicated indoor and outdoor museum of the Western Ghats. Here, people can see the replicas of the Ghats created on 10 acres of land. To raise awareness on the importance of the Western Ghats, particularly among the youth, a multi-lingual anthem on the lines of ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara ... ‘ is being readied. Special advertisement messages to be screened in cinemas are also being made to raise awareness among the people,” he said.
Former principal chief conservator of forests and KSWGCTF Advisory Board member Avani Kumar Verma said the declaration of Kans forests as no go areas was one of the most important resolutions passed at the national-level conference. There is a need to map such forests in the state, particularly in Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga districts.
Shariff said that a proposal will be sent to the state government to declare Myristica swamps as ecologically sensitive and heritage sites. A report in this regard will be ready by December.