Project Kaliru 4.0 Brings Together Experts to Address Wildlife Conflict in Coimbatore

Coimbatore: Project Kaliru 4.0, an awareness workshop on human-wildlife conflict management strategies, wildlife laws and law enforcement, will be held at Chandran Seminar Hall, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Peelamedu, on Wednesday, October 28, from 9.30 am.

The workshop aims to strengthen efforts to prevent and manage human-wildlife conflicts in Coimbatore district by bringing together officials from the Forest Department, Police and Electricity Board to discuss strategies for mitigating conflicts and improving coordination among departments.

Coimbatore District Collector Pawan Kumar Giriyappanar will attend as the chief guest. D. Venkatesh, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve, will deliver the keynote address. N. Venkatesh Prabhu, District Forest Officer, Coimbatore Forest Division, will deliver the welcome address, while N. J. Jalaluddin, president of the Nature Conservation Society, Coimbatore, will introduce Project Kaliru 4.0. R. V. Ramya Bharathi, Inspector General of Police, West Zone, Coimbatore, will deliver the presidential address.

The technical sessions will cover the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the importance of promoting coexistence between people and wildlife, and the responsibilities involved in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Experts will also discuss the legal responsibilities of the Police and other line departments in wildlife law enforcement, wildlife capture and translocation, and the role of non-governmental organisations in mitigating human-wildlife conflict.

Resource persons include G. Chandrasekaran, retired District Forest Officer; Dr. Boominathan of WWF-India's Western Ghats Landscape team; Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Forest Veterinary Officer at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve; advocate Churchill B.A.B.L.; Nidhyan Maniaarasu, Executive Engineer, PWD Electrical; Dr. Vijayaragavan of Anamalai Tiger Reserve; and Mayilsami, vice-president of the Nature Conservation Society, Coimbatore.

The workshop is expected to provide a platform for officials and conservation experts to share field experiences, discuss practical mitigation measures and strengthen inter-departmental coordination to address human-wildlife conflict in the district.