Kolkata: To commemorate World Environment Day 2026, the Durgapur Forest Division, in collaboration with the Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society (WINGS), recently organized a stakeholder seminar on “Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management in Industrial Landscapes of Paschim Bardhaman.”
The seminar focused primarily on the conservation of the Indian striped hyena, a Schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, along with other important wildlife species inhabiting the highly industrialized landscape of West Burdwan.
More than 50 representatives from government and private industries participated in the seminar. Major stakeholders included Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP), West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL), West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation Limited (WBMDTCL), Durgapur Thermal Power Station (DTPS), Essar Oil and Gas Exploration & Production Limited, and several other industries operating across the district.
The event started with the address of the divisional forest officer (DFO) of West Burdwan.
Representing the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), Prasenjit Sheel underscored the importance of collaborative conservation efforts. “This stakeholder meeting was crucial to get everyone on board to plan towards the conservation of the striped hyena and promote coexistence in these mined and industrialized areas,” he added.
A key highlight of the seminar was a technical presentation delivered by Arkajyoti Mukherjee, secretary of WINGS, on industry-specific guidelines and best practices for wildlife conservation. Mukherjee shared findings from an ongoing collaborative project between WINGS and WTI on the conservation status of the Indian striped hyena in West Burdwan.
