Community Conservation Leadership Award presented to seven persons in Erode district

Seven individuals in Erode district received the Community Conservation Leadership Award for their exceptional contributions to environmental and wildlife protection.

On the occasion of World Wildlife Day on March 3 (Tuesday), seven individuals from the district were honoured with the State-level “Community Conservation Leadership Award” for their outstanding voluntary service in the fields of environmental protection and wildlife conservation.

The awards were presented by Collector S. Kandasamy at a function held at the Collectorate in the presence of District Forest Officer (Erode Division) K.V. Appala Naidu. Each awardee received a certificate of recognition and a cash prize of ₹25,000.

The award was announced in the Legislative Assembly on March 28, 2025, to recognise individuals rendering exemplary voluntary service in nature and wildlife conservation. For 2025–26, applications were scrutinised at the district level and recommended by the District Selection Committee, following which a State-level evaluation was carried out. Across the State, 97 individuals were selected, including seven from the district.

Under the Environmental Protection and Awareness category, Deepak Venkatachalam was recognised for his efforts in lake conservation, initiatives to declare biodiversity heritage sites, and promoting environmental awareness. Kousalya was honoured for planting native tree saplings, spearheading anti-plastic campaigns, and involving students and the public in environmental protection activities.

Under the Wildlife Conservation category, the awardees included K. Seerangan, P. Manickam, D. Sakthivel, C. Kannappan and C. Vellaiyan. They were recognised for their contributions to wildlife rescue and protection, mitigating human–wildlife conflict, organising bird censuses and anti-plastic drives, supporting forest fire prevention measures, assisting in elephant monitoring, enhancing tribal livelihoods, and mobilising public participation in wildlife conservation.

Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said the awards not only recognise committed community contributors but also encourage continued dedication to protecting nature and wildlife. He added that such recognition would inspire youth and the society to actively engage in conservation efforts.