Forest officials from Sikkim and Nepal undertake joint monitoring of West Sikkim border

GANGTOK, 08 Aug: A joint monitoring team comprising of Forest Department officials of Sikkim and Nepal surveyed the border areas of West Sikkim from 02-05 August to assess the ground situation regarding forest status, biodiversity and communities residing in these areas.
The five member team from Nepal comprised of DFOs of Panchthar and Taplejung, the two adjoining districts in Nepal, Chairman of Kanchanjungha Conservation Area Management Council (KCAMC) the protected area having contiguity with the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim and the Warden of KCAMC.  The Sikkim team was represented by DFOs of Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary and Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, members of EDCs and two Himal Rakshaks. The joint monitoring was facilitated by WWF-India and WWF-Nepal, working under the 10-point agreement of the last transboundary meeting between Nepal and Sikkim organized in Gangtok in June 2011, an official press release informs.
The team acknowledges the cooperation and support rendered by the Sashastra Seema Bal officials during the monitoring, the release adds.
Starting from Uttarey in West Sikkim, the team reached Chewabhanjyang on the first day and then trekked along the border between the two countries interacting with herders and inspecting cattle sheds along the way. The absence of cattle sheds following the ban on grazing policy was noted by the team on the Sikkim side, whereas cattle sheds were present on the Nepal side.  While there was pressure on natural resources from these cattle sheds on both sides of the border, the team observed that the overall status of forest was good.
The herders from Nepal also commented that herding as a tradition was on the decline, as people had other livelihood options which the younger generation preferred more.  On the Nepal side, construction of the road that had been brought right till Chewabhanjyang had caused noticeable damage to the forests along the area leading to landslides and erosion.
Interaction with local communities also yielded information that trade in wildlife items had reduced considerably from the past with the removal of cattle sheds that had once acted as stations for poachers and hunters. The presence of Sashastra Seema Bal along the border on the Sikkim side also seemed to act as deterrent for illegal crimes as there was close monitoring of people moving along the borders.
The joint monitoring also facilitated sharing of best practices between the two adjoining countries, and future strategies were also discussed by the two teams. The monitoring team would report their observations at the next transboundary meeting to be organized in Pokhara, Nepal in the month of September.