Title - Forest academy in Sangli to train officers

PUNE: Forest department officials from the state may no longer have to travel to other states for training as the department's education and training wing has set up a state forest academy at Kundal in Sangli district.

The academy will be inaugurated by the forest minister Patangrao Kadam on August 15. "The department will run a month-long training course for forest guards for now, but there are bigger plans," said N H Kakodkar, chief conservator of forest (education and training). Set up at a cost of Rs 34 crore on 11 hectares, the infrastructure of the academy should be complete by next June, he added.

"Once the academy is complete, we hope to conduct training programmes for range forest officers (RFO) and assistant conservators of forests (ACF)," he said. At present, the department runs five forest training institutes, but these cater to the training of forest guards and foresters, he said.

The ACFs from the state have to either go to the Central Academy for State Forest Service in Dehradun or the State Forest Service College in Coimbatore for training. The RFOs undergo training in the Andhra Pradesh Forest Academy in Hyderabad, Kakodkar said. About 60 such forest officials are trained every year, he added.

To set up the academy for training officials, the authorities will require recognition from the Directorate of Forest Education. "The process has already begun and once the infrastructure is complete, it will be taken forward," Kakodkar said.

The academy will also provide training to employees from other departments on environmental issues. There are personnel in several departments who are concerned with matters such as environmental clearances. Very often public works department (PWD), irrigation or energy-related projects require these clearances. The proposals go back and forth resulting in delays and cost escalations, Kakotkar said.

"At present, the impression is that the forest department is against development. But, if we can change the mindset, then concerns can be addressed in the proposal stage itself," he said.

Kakotkar said if a road project requires forest land, the threat to wildlife crossing the road increases. If those preparing the proposal are aware of this threat, then they may suggest the construction of barriers along the road, factoring the additional cost at this stage itself. The hike in the project cost may also make them look for alternatives.