Top Army officer highlights role of force in nation building, environment protection

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], October 3 : A top Army officer on Tuesday said unregulated and unplanned development and deforestation have made an adverse impact on the environment, leading to climate change, floods and landslides in recent times.
Central Army Commander Lt Gen Raja Subramani, while delivering the keynote address on the vision of the Army for environment management of ecological assets on Tuesday, said the armed forces, which have been an integral part of the nation-building process, have contributed to environmental conservation at the micro level in its military stations and cantonments by encouraging environment conservation and protecting the local wildlife.
“Whereas, at the macro level, the Indian Army has been proactive in all the initiatives of the government of India and national missions for environment conservation and rejuvenation which includes the yeoman work done by Ecological Battalions (TA),” he said.
Indian Army’s Central Command is celebrating ‘Wildlife Week’, an environmental seminar on the “Role of Armed Forces in Nature and Wildlife Conservation” on October 3 to 4 in Dehradun.
The seminar is attended by renowned environmentalists and prominent speakers from various prestigious institutes of the country including Lt Gen (Dr) VK Ahluwalia, Dr Deepak Apte, Dr Kalachand Sain, Director, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dr Girish Jathar, Dr Rajat Bhargava, Mr Satish Pradhan, Dr Saroj Barik, Dr Vishnupriya Kolipakam & Col Prakash Tewari sharing their thoughts on nature, environment and wildlife conservation.
The seminar features insightful discussions on wildlife protection, conservation strategies, law enforcement, and community engagement and also highlights the significant contribution of the armed forces towards protecting India’s rich and diverse wildlife, ecosystems and natural resources.
The seminar depicts that the Indian Army is not only safeguarding the frontiers but also playing a crucial role in generating awareness about environmental issues also.