French Consulate, state discuss North Bengal wildlife corridor conservation

Kolkata: As part of the bilateral talks between India and France, the French Consulate Kolkata is learnt to have made progress concerning talks with the state government for supporting conservation efforts for wildlife corridors in North Bengal (NB) and mangrove ecosystem of Sunderbans with funds from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Speaking at the sidelines of the Bastille Day celebrations, French Consul General of Kolkata, Didier Talpain told Millennium Post that discussions are afoot with the Bengal government for conservation of wildlife corridors in North Bengal. He said there is an apparent need felt by the state for further development of such corridors in the state, especially in the northern part.

In the wake of elephant-human conflict, sources in the Forest department said that there is a need for conserving the corridors while also creating new ones. According to a report by the Forest department, there are about 14 major elephant corridors in North Bengal connecting different forest reserves. Some of these are Apalchand RF- Kalimpong Division (Via Sylee), Teti-Rethi, Nimti-Chilapata, Buxa Tetivia Barnabari, among others.

“These corridors are vital for the migration and movement of the elephant herds and for maintaining genetic connectivity across the landscape. However, due to new settlement areas and other sources most of the corridors are under tremendous human pressure,” said the report.

The Consul General further said that in Sunderbans in South Bengal, the objective includes conservation of the mangroves which also acts as the cyclone barrier to this part of the state. “Our discussion with the Bengal government concerning Sunderbans is focused on conservation and climate change. Here, the local populace is threatened by the drastic changes in the climate pattern and the rising water level. We are trying to find some French NGO partners who can support the climate efforts for this region through funding.” He assured that the French Government intends to lend its support in protecting the biodiversity of this region.

In Assam, AFD is supporting the Assam Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) in Kaziranga National Park. Since 2008, the French agency has been supporting India with the implementation of a low-carbon, inclusive and resilient development trajectory, in line with the international climate and Indo-Pacific agenda.