Alipurduar, Feb. 16: Chronicling success on celluloid to promote prosperity and conservation. That?s what the forest department aims at achieving through its documentary on eco-development.

The film, which will be screened in areas that have not been brought under the joint forest management initiative, will attempt to make villagers more aware of the need to preserve the forests and play an active role in controlling illegal activity.

P.T. Bhutia, the conservator of forest (wildlife), northern circle, said: ?The documentary will be shot in Jalpaiguri wildlife division I and II and Cooch Behar forest division.?

?We have been successful in involving forest villages in the conservation and protection of wildlife and we want those who have still not been brought under the purview of the joint forest management programme to see how they can be benefited as well,? he added.

The eco-development programme has helped promote eco-tourism in many parts of the region, making villagers benefit from the trickle of visitors.

Many projects have been started in the field of agriculture and irrigation as well.

The programme has helped clear one of the most prevalent misconceptions of the cropping pattern followed by residents of forest and revenue villages.

?There was a time when the villagers cultivated only a single crop a year as they felt the soil would not support more cultivation. We have been successful in dispelling this myth. Now the villagers grow at least four crops each year and this has helped them earn more revenue, reducing their dependence on the forest for sustenance,? a forest official said. ?They have even understood the benefits of inter-cropping.?

A group of boys have started work on the documentary in South Khairbari and Kunjanagar, Bhutia said.

?The forest department will spend a maximum of Rs 60,000 to make the film, which we hope to complete in three months,? he said.

The movie, once complete, will be transferred on a CD for easy storage and carriage.

?We have plans to present copies of the CD to the principle chief conservator of forest and chief conservator of forest. We will also screen the films in far-flung villages to impress on the residents the importance and benefits of conserving wildlife and joint forest management,? Bhutia said.