Dimapur, Dec. 20: Most of Wokha village functionaries agreed that 60 degree slope land should be conserved as reserved forest, while they also felt that village councils should be made a part of the institutional framework proposed by the Land Use Policy.
The views were discussed at the district level consultative meeting on the Draft Nagaland Land Use Policy held on December 6 in the DC’s conference hall, Wokha. ADC Wokha, Thavaseelan, while welcoming the participants, spoke about the need and importance of the Land Use Policy.
Shilpa Chohan from Indian Environment Law Organisation (IELO) gave a presentation on the key elements of the Draft Nagaland Land Use Policy. This was followed by a presentation from ADC Wokha on the stakeholder response to the Draft Nagaland Land Use Policy. He informed that consultations are being held in all administrative headquarters adding the summary of the stakeholder response will be distilled from the opinion and feedback collected at each of these workshops.
Opinions were sought from the participants on the policy prescriptions of the Draft Policy in which most of the village functionaries representing various villages were positive about reservation of 60 degree slope land as reserve forest. They, however, felt that village council should be made part of the institutional framework proposed by the Land Use policy.
One representative remarked that customary laws and practices should not be over ridden by the policy adding boundaries demarcated by the ancestors should not be ignored in the process of mapping traditional boundaries.
The meeting ended with a summary of the views and concerns that emerged from the participants.
