By Chandra Pandak
Taplejung, Sept. 25: Wreaths were laid on the statues of conservationists at Bhintunadanda in Phungling, the district headquarters of Taplejung.
On the occasion of Conservation Day on Thursday, garlands were laid on the statues of prominent conservationists who died in a helicopter crash at Ghunsa Fale in Faktanglung Rural Munucupality-6, Lelep on September 23, 2006.
The memorial programme was jointly organised by the District Environment Protection and Development Forum (ECDF) and local Radio Taplejung 94 MHz.

Twenty-four prominent personalities, including the then Minister of State for Forests Gopal Rai, were killed when a Shree Airlines helicopter crashed on Dhunje Hill in Faktanglung Rural Municipality-6.
Among others killed in the incident were Meena Rai, wife of the Minister of State, Harka Gurung, a geologist and advisor to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and a representative of the World Wildlife Fund. Chandra Prasad Gurung, the Managing Director of the World Wildlife Fund's American Eastern Himalayan Programme and Mingmanorvu Sherpa, Managing Director of Eastern Himalayan Programme were also killed in the crash.
Former Director General of the Department of National Parks and World Wildlife Conservation and Vice President of the Asian Rhino Expert Group, Tirthaman Maskey was also killed.