Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of the Second meeting of the Core Committee constituted in the Tripura JBIC Project for inventorization of Biodiversity resources of Tripura held on the 3rd October, 2008 at 3.30 P. M under the chairmanship of the Chief Wildlife Warden, Government of Tripura.

The Second meeting of the Core Committee constituted in the Tripura JBIC Project for conservation and development of biodiversity resources of the state was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) on the 3rd October, 2008 and the names of the members present in the meeting is appended.
2. The Director (Adm. & Fin.) of the Tripura JBIC Project in the capacity of the Member Secretary of the committee welcomed the participants, conveyed gratitude for the attendance of the full body and requested the participant members to discuss on the action plan that has been devised and brought by the members on this day for charting out the map for implementation of the project component.
3. The Chief Wildlife Warden exhorted the members of the Committee to take steps in the light of decisions arrived at in the first meeting, decisions of which were communicated vide F. 22-3(6)/For-JBIC/I&P/BD/07/3306-83 dated 23rd September, 08 and requested the participants to discuss the salient features of the action plan, the methodologies proposed together with the financial involvement.
4. Professor B. K. Agarwala of Department of Zoology, Tripura University discussed on the proposal prepared by the Ecology and biodiversity Division on exploration, collection, bio-systematic studies and digitized mapping of the work on invertebrates in the identified 34 hotspots with special reference to such animals which promote pollination, help in propagation of plant seeds and are vital link to food chain and are active in recycling the nutrient materials. Dr. Agarwala also discussed about his vision on carrying out the work and stressed for developing a facility where the results of inventorization works including the specimens can be preserved for reference for the posterity. It is found that the work value of the action plan is Rs. 55.44 Lakhs.

5. It was followed by an action plan developed by the College of Fisheries. Ms. P. Bhattacharjee, Associate Professor of the College of Fisheries informed that out of the 34 identified hotspots there exist 7 locations which are considered to be rich in aquatic biodiversity resources and the College of Fisheries shall undertake inventorization works in those 7 identified hotspots following the standard principles adopted by the Institution in similar nature of work elsewhere in the country. It has been proposed to carry out the inventorization works in a span of 24 months whereas the compilation work shall take about 4 months’ time in addition. And in addition to the taxonomical studies the ambit of work shall also include studies of physico-chemical properties of water i.e the
habitat of the aquatic flora and fauna. The total financial involvement for the studies is Rs. 46 lakhs.
6. Dishari, an NGO working in the environment conservation sector informed that they have drawn up the action plan for undertaking the detailed survey for documenting faunal diversity of the 34 identified hotspots excepting the insects and pisces group. The total financial involvement is Rs. 44.75 lakhs and the inventorization work is proposed to be completed in a span of two years and in two block periods where actual assessment shall have a span of six months with gaps for the sake of correct representation which shall be utilized for compilation of data.
7. The Botany Department of the Tripura University in its action plan has proposed to enumerate the plant resources including RET species, habitat distribution, flowering pattern including their consumption and utilization pattern by the people who make out a living on these floral species. The herbarium preparation and preservation technique shall also be adapted during the inventorization work. It is proposed to execute the work component within a sum of Rs. 32.87 lakhs and the work shall span 3 years’ time. The resource base shall also be assessed during the inventorization work.
8. The representative of ARPAN has informed that socio-economic status of people, consumption pattern of the biodiversity resources shall be the aim of the organization and such assessment shall not only help in documentation of the biodiversity resources but can throw light on the dependence of the people not only for their own consumption but living out of the trade or barter of such resources. ARPAN submitted an action plan of six months’ study. As advised by the CWLW, the ARPAN agreed to resubmit the revised detailed work programme for 2 years (covering 3-seasons twice) shall be submitted by the Organization.
9. The Joint Director, ICAR, NEH region informed that he has already provide a list of the Directorates which can be accessed for the purpose of registration of the inventorization work to be carried out as per the work programme.
10. Mr. S Tsuji, Team Leader, PMC opined that the gadgets procured and facilities developed by different participating Organizations/Institutions using Project fund may be utilized by them even after termination of the Project as their property. However, due acknowledgement and hypothecation procedure has to be followed by specific mention of the JBIC project name as those gadgets and facilities.
11. The Chief Wildlife Warden congratulated and thanked all the members for observing the timeline in submitting the Action Plan and made following action points:
(1) Each plan submitted by different Organization/NGO shall be evaluated for developing a synergy in different Actions Plans so that a team of experts may be developed for undertaking works in the field by the first week of January, 2009.
(2) Each action plan has to cover all three seasons (summer, winter & monsoon) for data collection over a period of two years.
(3) Inception workshops shall be organized in each Forest Division & Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) to train the forest field staff and also to generate awareness amongst the people on specialized nature of work covering all identified hotspots.
(4) The Chief Wildlife Warden further opined that the participating Organizations shall be contacted at individual level to fine tune the Action Plans for more details, if required. This is needed to integrate all components for documenting biodiversity resources at spatial level using a common format.
12. The meeting was concluded with thanks to all members and with a decision that the next meeting shall be held in the last week November, 2008.


Core Committee Members present in the meeting
dt. 3rd October, 2008.

1. Dr. A K Gupta, Chief Wildlife Warden, Govt. of Tripura.
2. Sh. D. K Sharma, Director, NTFP Centre of Excellence, Tripura JBIC Project
3. Sh. P Biswas, Director, Administration & Finance, Tripura JBIC Project.

The College of Fisheries.
1. Ms. P Bhattacharjee, Associate Professor.


The ICAR, HEH Region.

1. Dr. M P Singh, Joint Director.

Tripura University.

1. Dr. B K Agarwala, Professor, Department of Zoology.
2. Dr. B K Dutta, Reader , Department of Botany.
3. Sh. K Majumder, research Associate.


ARPAN (NGO)
1. Sh. Utpal Dhar, Member.
2. Sh. B Bhattacharjee, Member.

Dishari (NGO)
1. Sh. Kamal Kanti Banik, Executive Secretary.


Project Management Consultant.

1. Mr. S. Tsuji, Team Leader.