Paonta Sahib celebrates ‘gentle giants’ of forests

Pankaj Sharma

Nahan, August 12

For the first time, World Elephant Day celebrations were held in Paonta Sahib, marking a significant milestone under the “Project Elephant & Tiger” initiative, which was officially launched in Himachal Pradesh this year by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). This initiative is aimed at the conservation and protection of the wildlife, particularly the gentle giants of the forests — the elephants.

The celebrations kicked off with a series of awareness and sensitisation programmes aimed at educating students and the local community about the importance of elephant conservation. These events were held across various schools and other places in the region.

At the Senior Secondary School in Batamandi, Class XII students participated in a special event organised by the Majra and Girinagar Ranges. The school was adorned with banners and posters that highlighted key facts about elephants and the need for their protection. Students took part in quizzes and other activities designed to raise awareness on human-elephant conflicts and the steps that can be taken to mitigate them.

In addition to the quiz, schools were provided with brochure boards detailing the dos and don’ts in human-elephant conflict situations. This practical information is expected to help students and their families better understand how to coexist peacefully with elephants, reducing the chances of dangerous encounters.

One of the key moments of the day was when the students took a solemn pledge to protect elephants and to actively participate in raising awareness about their plight. Paonta Sahib Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Aishwarya Raj emphasised the importance of such educational initiatives in fostering a culture of conservation. “The celebrations are just the beginning of a larger movement to protect our wildlife,” the DFO said.

DFO Raj also highlighted the efforts being made by the Forest Department under the project. In addition to awareness programmes, the department has procured early warning systems on a pilot-basis, camera traps, sound guns, safety equipment and uniforms for the field staff.

Celebrations were also held at Yamuna Riverfront in Paonta Sahib, where the Paonta Range field staff engaged with students from a local girls’ school.