HFRI to assess the ecological changes in HP

To assess the ecological changes in the state, the Himalayan Forest Research Institute Shimla would conduct a study in collaboration with Govind Ballabh Pant institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora.

Two catchment areas, including Shimla water catchment wildlife sanctuary and Shikari Devi wildlife sanctuary of Mandi district, have been selected to carry out a study on ecological changes. The ministry of forest had alloted the project to Govind Ballabh Pant institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora and the part in which two catchment of the state were involved had been alloted to HFRI Shimla.

Main objectives of the study would be to find the changes occurred in both catchments of the state, said HFRI Shimla director Dr V P Tripathi. "Study will be carried out to know the status of different species of plants in the catchment area," said Tripathi, adding "Study will reveal the reason of change and new species if detected."

Human interference in the catchment areas may have its impact on flora and fauna. Even in catchment areas there were several restrictions on the human interference.

Tripathi told Hindustan Times that human interference in catchment has its impact especially on wildlife. "In the study our scientist will also assess the effect of human interference in these two catchment areas, whether it has affected the flora or not," Tripathi told HT.

To carry out studies in both catchments, the HFRI had got the total budget of over Rs 16 lakh. The HFRI has appointed two scientists for both catchments who have visited the areas once to draw a layout of study.

A senior scientist of HFRI said that one of the objectives behind the study was to know the total number of species in catchment areas. "Department of forest has data of all catchments and study report will be compared with the old or existing data to assess new finding," added he.

Study will also look into the factor that led to vanishing of species of flora which were existed as per the old and available data. Study would also focus on the aspects of change of patron of species, diversity and the structure of change of diversity.