By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 20: A stronger push for inter-agency coordination has emerged in Meghalaya as officials and enforcement bodies came together to tackle the rising threat of wildlife crime. The move follows an appeal by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden HC Chaudhury, who emphasised that protecting the state’s biodiversity requires the combined effort of every concerned agency.
The coordination meet, organised in Shillong by the Eastern Regional Office of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in collaboration with the Wildlife Wing of the state Forest and Environment department, placed emphasis on building synergy between central and state forces. WCCB Joint Director Dr Manoj Kumar, who opened the discussions, gave an overview of the wildlife crime situation in India and underlined the urgency of collective measures.
Officials debated a wide range of issues, including real-time intelligence sharing, identifying the modus operandi of offenders, strengthening crime databases, joint operations, and capacity-building initiatives. Meghalaya’s specific challenges in enforcement also came under the spotlight, with all agencies agreeing to reinforce cooperation to confront the problem head-on.
The meet was followed by a two-day training programme on September 15 and 16, designed for frontline officers engaged in wildlife protection. A total of 35 personnel — 28 from the Wildlife Wing and 7 from the Meghalaya Police — took part in the sessions. The modules covered the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, along with subjects such as cybercrime, mobile forensics, case documentation, and relevant provisions under the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
Senior WCCB officers, led by Regional Deputy Director SS Patil, along with experts from different fields, conducted the training. The programme, according to officials, has provided participants with practical insight into the finer aspects of investigation and prosecution, sharpening their ability to respond to wildlife crime with greater precision.
