Commissioner & Secretary of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, visited the office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in Zunheboto on July 12 and held an interaction session with the officers and staff.
During the meeting, Kikheto Sema emphasized the importance of sincerity in their work and called upon the staff to actively promote awareness about environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. He urged the department to act as agents and ambassadors in the fight against climate change, advocating for collaboration with district administration and civil societies to shift public attitudes towards tree plantation and wildlife conservation.
Sema highlighted the need for the department to focus not only on forest well-being but also on waste management, pollution reduction, and wildlife protection. He stressed the role of awareness generation through churches, mentioning that the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has dedicated the first Sunday of June every year to climate change prevention and biodiversity conservation.
“We cannot run away from climate change; we cannot fight nature, but we must opt for sustainable living in harmony with nature,” Sema said. He underscored the importance of protecting the environment for future generations, urging the staff to commit to these efforts.