Demand grows to shift DFO office to Nagrota Surian
The recent decision of the state government to shift the State Wildlife Department office from Shimla to Dharamsala has sparked fresh demands for relocating the office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) from Hamirpur to Nagrota Surian. Located in the heart of the Ramsar Pong Wetland area in lower Kangra district, Nagrota Surian is being seen as a more suitable site for managing the region’s biodiversity.
Dr HL Dhiman, a retired college principal and a member of the state-level Reservoir and Destination Management Committee under the Swadesh Darshan-02 scheme, has welcomed the state government’s move regarding the wildlife office and urged it to consider shifting the DFO office as well. He highlighted that the DFO office was earlier based at Nagrota Surian, and the original office and residential structures still exist, currently being used by the local police chowki.
Dr Dhiman said the Pong Wetland is a crucial ecological site and among India’s 89 international Ramsar locations. Every winter, it attracts over one lakh migratory birds, making it a globally recognised wildlife sanctuary. He argued that Nagrota Surian, being centrally located within the Pong Wetland, is ideal for coordinating wildlife conservation and tourism efforts.
He further emphasised the growing importance of the region with the upcoming zoo at Bankhandi in Dehra subdivision and the already existing Gopalpur zoo in Palampur. Shifting the DFO office to Nagrota Surian, he said, would ensure better management and monitoring of wildlife activities in the sanctuary.
Dr. Dhiman appealed to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to take note of the strategic significance of the area and expedite the relocation of the DFO office to support sustainable development and environmental conservation efforts.
