Guwahati, Jan 17: As part of its sustained efforts to sensitise border guarding forces in the frontier states in Northeast India, researched-based biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) has conducted an orientation workshop on wildlife crime mitigation and prevention for Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel at Darranga Border Outpost (BOP) on India-Bhutan border in Tamulpur, Assam.
Forty SSB men and women deployed at various SSB BOPs across the Manas Landscape in Assam bordering Bhutan were attending the workshop on Monday. They were sensitized on the alarming dimension of burgeoning wildlife crime and vulnerability of the frontier region of NE India where border-guarding forces have to shoulder added responsibility of guarding against cross border illegal trade in wildlife parts.
The Aaranyak’s team of resource persons, comprising senior manager Dr Jimmy Borah and project officer and analyst Ivy Farheen Hussain from its Legal and Advocacy Division (LAD), through their presentations apprised the participating SSB personnel on various aspects of preventing wildlife crime and its impacts on the national security.
While Dr Jimmy Borah enlightened the participants on Aaranyak as an organization and its works/programmes for conservation of nature and creation of synergy amongst various stakeholders in prevention of wildlife crimes, Ivy Farheen Hussain through her presentation highlighted common types of modus operandi of criminals and various species involved in illegal wildlife trade from this region.
The Deputy Commandant of the 64th Battalion of the SSB, Prashanta Gautam who was present in the workshop, provided valued comments on handling of wildlife products and information sharing during patrols for quick action and successful apprehension of offenders.
The workshop was a part of a series of classes regularly organized by Aaranyak under the aegis of its LAD for sensitizing newly recruited SSB cadres to be deployed on the Indo-Bhutan border areas on wildlife crime scenario.
Manas Landscape is Assam located along the India-Bhutan border is a biodiversity-rich area where Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve as well as Manas Biosphere Reserve are located besides Raimona National Park.
Sashastra Seema Bal was established as Special Service Bureau in May 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression (in 1962). Sashastra Seema Bal came under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Jan 2001). SSB was initially declared a Lead Intelligence Agency for Indo Nepal (June 2001) and assigned the Indo Nepal border. Now it is deployed along India-Bhutan frontier too.