Dateline Mussoorie: As part of its meet-the-press initiative, the Mussoorie Press Club invited Devi Prasad Baloni, who assumed charge as the new Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Mussoorie Forest Division, as the special invitee at the third edition of Mussoorie Samvaad held today.
Addressing a packed house, Baloni—who assumed charge about a month ago—discussed the key challenges and priorities before him as DFO of the Mussoorie Forest Division. The division covers approximately 39,000 hectares and is a compact forested patch spread across two districts, with around 15% falling under the Dehradun-Raipur range and approximately 75% in Tehri district, giving the division a dual-jurisdiction character.
No stranger to Mussoorie, Baloni has previously served in the town on two occasions. He made it clear that protection and conservation remain his foremost priorities.
During the interaction, Baloni responded to questions on a range of issues, including public grievances, notification of 218 private estates, identification of designated dumping zones for construction material and debris, recent leopard attacks in the Nainbagh area, damage to healthy trees caused by creepers and climbers, fencing around private estates that can restrict the movement of wildlife, illegal mining in areas surrounding Mussoorie, illegal tree felling, and broader environmental protection within the Mussoorie Forest Division.
Addressing members of the Mussoorie Press Club, Baloni reiterated that while development was inevitable and necessary, it should not come at the expense of the region’s natural beauty, forests and environment.
He also spoke with pride about his team, highlighting its commitment and willingness to take considerable risks despite limited resources, particularly while responding to forest fires and other emergencies.
The interaction provided an opportunity for the media to raise concerns directly with the new DFO and seek clarity on some of the pressing environmental and wildlife-related issues confronting Mussoorie and its surrounding areas.
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