Nagaland pressed for expanded central funding support and policy backing for forestry and environmental programs during a high-level interaction with Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Kirti Varadhan Singh in Kohima on Monday, as the Centre urged a renewed, technology-driven approach to conservation and production forestry to strengthen ecological sustainability and rural livelihoods.
The meeting, held at the Forest Guest House, brought together senior officers of the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of Nagaland, led by Principal Secretary Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, who briefed the Minister on ongoing conservation initiatives, emerging climate challenges and development priorities in the state’s forestry sector.
During the interaction, Nagaland officials sought increased allocations under the Nagar Van scheme to expand afforestation efforts in both rural and urban areas. The State also requested support under the Green India Mission (GIM) and allocation of funds through the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
Sema informed the Minister that the State Government is actively promoting agarwood plantation as a viable economic and ecological initiative and noted that a draft Agarwood Policy for Nagaland has been submitted to the Cabinet for consideration.
Responding to the presentations, the Union Minister encouraged officials to adopt a comprehensive and technologically enabled approach to conservation, particularly in addressing emerging challenges such as forest fires, landslides and water scarcity. He called for strengthened soil and moisture conservation measures and urged the department to harness Nagaland’s abundant natural resources in ways that balance ecological sustainability with economic viability.
Emphasising improved plantation practices, Singh advised officials to explore advanced techniques, including the use of improved teak clones and agarwood inoculation methods, and encouraged collaboration with research institutions such as the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore, and the Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat, to integrate scientific innovation into tree cultivation practices.
Highlighting the need for adopting improved forest management techniques for better economic returns from the teak and agarwood plantations, he called for promotion of production forestry to boost the economy of farmers in the State.