RANGAMATI, June 1: Chakma Circle Chief Barrister Raja Debashis Roy underscored the need for protecting village common forests (VCF) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), in order to save environment from disaster.
The Department of Forest has failed to save the reserve forests from indiscriminate cutting of trees in CHT area; now there are no trees here of their own. So it is the duty of local people to come forward and join hands to preserve forests from destruction, Debashis Roy said.
He made this comments while inaugurating a day-long annual conference styled "Village Common Forests and Natural Resource Management" under Chakma circle at Rangamati Ethnic Cultural Centre on Sunday as chief guest.
 President of Rangamati Nagorik Committee Goutam Dewan, Kawkhali Upazila Chairman, Vice-chairman Shima Chakma, Union Parishad Chairman Bijoy Giri Chakma, Headman Shanti Moy Chakma and UNDP Representative Proshenjeet Chakma also spoke at the conference.
The programme was arranged by CHT Watershed Co-management Activities project under the auspices of CHT Development Facilities programme (CHTDF-UNDP).
The heads of the village Mouza Committees also attended the conference.