100 Ex-Servicemen Deployed in Ladakh to Protect Fragile Ecology

Polish: In a first-of-its-kind initiative to strengthen the overall environment protection mechanism and protect the delicate ecosystem of Ladakh, 100 ex-servicemen were inducted into the Ladakh Environmental Protection Force (EPF) on Saturday.

Flagging off the vehicles taking the ex-servicemen to their respective destinations, Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena said Ladakh has one of the most sensitive high-altitude ecosystems in the world and is home to many endangered species of wildlife that require the highest level of protection.

He said increased tourism should go hand in hand with environmental responsibility and EPF will play an important role in maintaining the balance between human activities and ecological conservation while guiding people in promoting responsible tourism in the Union Territory.

“EPF brings together the discipline, integrity and determination of our veterans to protect this sensitive ecosystem. I am confident that they will not only prevent violations of environmental and wildlife laws but also become ambassadors of cleanliness, biodiversity conservation and responsible tourism across Ladakh,” Saxena said. he said.

The LG also administered an oath to the EPF members reaffirming their resolve to faithfully discharge their duty to protect the environment, forests, wildlife and biodiversity of Ladakh.

An official spokesperson said every EPF member pledged to avoid single-use plastics in their personal lives and to actively encourage their families, friends and local communities to adopt environmentally sustainable alternatives.

EPF personnel, comprising ex-servicemen from the army, paramilitary forces and Ladakh Scouts, will be deployed in ecologically sensitive areas of the Union Territory to maintain stringent controls against increasing illegal land use, threatening wildlife and harming the delicate ecology of Ladakh.

To strengthen the EPF, these ex-servicemen were empowered to issue instant ‘challan’ (fine) for such violations in designated areas.

The unique initiative was launched in response to increasing illegal land use, unauthorized camping in protected areas, wildlife degradation and pollution in ecologically sensitive lands of Ladakh, the spokesperson said.

He said the deployment of ex-servicemen is aimed at strengthening the enforcement mechanism against violations of environment and wildlife laws.

EPF is specifically mandated to prevent violations such as stalking and disturbing wildlife in protected wildlife areas, littering, using single-use plastic, dumping plastic waste in open areas and other environmentally harmful activities.

In addition to strengthening environmental enforcement, the initiative also serves as a meaningful rehabilitation measure by providing veterans with the opportunity to continue serving society after retirement.

The spokesman said each EPF member will receive a fixed monthly remuneration of Rs 25,000 while deployed in and around their local or designated areas, ensuring effective monitoring due to their familiarity with the local terrain.