A delegation of 60 senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers from various parts of the country visited Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district as part of an exposure tour under the Mid-Career Training Programme (MCTP) organised by the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun—India’s premier training institute for IFS officers.
The officers were received by Ms. Aishwarya Raj, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Paonta Sahib, who presented an overview of the division’s achievements and key initiatives in forestry management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection, and ecotourism development.
As part of the tour, the officers visited the Supreme Court-monitored Experimental Silviculture Area in Rajban. They studied the regeneration success of Sal (Shorea robusta) saplings in compartments that underwent silvicultural interventions between 2018 and 2020. This area stands as a prominent example of Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), with annual monitoring studies indicating positive outcomes in natural growth and species diversity.
Paonta Sahib valley, which hosts Himachal Pradesh’s only rich Sal forests covering over 16,202 hectares, impressed the officers with its scientific management and ecological conservation efforts.
The delegation also toured the newly developed Sirmaur Van Vihar near Sataun Bridge, an ecotourism initiative showcasing the district’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and ecological richness. The visiting officers lauded the Forest Department’s innovative approach and called it a model for integrated eco-development.
A focused session on Project Elephant was also held, addressing human-elephant conflict in the region. Discussions centred around long-term mitigation strategies, including habitat improvement and corridor management to promote coexistence.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Aishwarya Raj stressed the importance of such exposure visits in promoting mutual learning and strengthening forest governance. “This visit not only showcases local innovations but also fosters knowledge exchange among officers from diverse forest landscapes,” she said.
