Wildlife plays an important role in balancing the environment as it provides stability to different ecosystems of nature. This was stated by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing the concluding function of Wildlife week organized by the State Wildlife Wing here on Tuesday evening.The Chief Minister said that since time immemorial and even in Indian mythology wildlife was given utmost importance and birds, animals and even snakes were worshiped in our society. He said that the State Government was committed to conserve and protect wildlife in the State. He appreciated the Wildlife Wing of Forest department for successful conserving the Cheer pheasant.Jai Ram Thakur said that the greater stress should be laid on conservation of endangered and rare species, animals and birds. It was vital that we protect the wildlife as since time immemorial humans and animals have lived together. He said that this year’s theme of the wildlife week was focused on snow leopard, the State animal of Himachal Pradesh.The Chief Minister also released a souvenir on the occasion.He announced Rs. 5100 each to the students of two local government schools for presenting skits on the occasion and distributed prizes to the winners of different events and competitions organized during the wildlife week celebration.Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said that it was duty of each one of us to conserve wildlife in the State and country. He congratulated the winners of various competitions held by the Wildlife wing on the occasion and appreciated the messages given by the children through skits regarding wildlife conservation. He said that the Wild life was under threat due to excessive interference of humans in their territory.PCCF Dr. Ajay Kumar said that every year Wild life week was celebrated throughout the country from 2-8 October.
PCCF (Wildlife) Dr. Sarita said that Wild Life Week celebration was planned for general awakening of the people in the country towards the protection of wildlife. She said that this year the Wildlife week was organised with the theme to conserve snow leopard.Akshita Thakur of the Oxford International School, Hamirpur won the first prize in the painting contest. Harsh Kumar of Super Magnet Senior Secondary School, Hamirpur won second and Gauri Rai third position in the contest. Somya Saini of DAV Public Sr. Sec. School Shimla, Shubham Anand Sharma of Govt. Sr. Sec. School Ghanahat and Aditi Sharma of Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School Chamba were respectively awarded as first, second and third in the slogan writing in Hindi competition. Aditi Verma of Loreto Convent Shimla, Palak Gupta of Dayanand Public School Shimla and Pragti of Blue Star School Hamirpur were awarded as first, second and third in the slogan writing in English competition. In essay writing competition in Hindi Aakrshita Sharma of Dayanand Public School Shimla, Aditi Ahir of Govt. Model School Chamba and Sakshi Devi of Govt. School Raipur Chamba were awarded first, second and third prizes respectively. Whereas in English essay writing competition Purab Kulranjan Singh Thakur of St. Edward's Schol Shimla, Dipti Sood of Dayanand School Shimla and Prach Peunas of DAV Lakkar Bazar, Shimla won the first, second and third position respectively. In Inter-University Wildlife Quiz competition Aman Mahajan and Tarun Verma of Nauni University won the first prize, Kush Bhardwaj and Navjot Singh Thakur of Palampur University and Pooja and Kartik Thakur of HPU Shimla respectively won second and third position, Forest Worker Sukhvir Singh was awarded for excellent service for his work at Cheer Pheasant Breeding Centre at Khadiyun. Deputy Mayor Rakesh Sharma and other senior officers of the State Government were present on the occasion among others.