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| State Forest Policy in offing: Najam | | |
SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 28 - The Environment Committee of Legislative Assembly has stressed the need for strengthening the State Forest Protection Force (SFPF) and making its optimum utilization so that the green gold which is one of the mainstay of State’s economy could be saved from further loses.
The Environment Committee that met here today with MLA Mr. Mubarak Gul in chair discussed various issues related to environment and its preservation in the State.
The Committee expressed concern over the constant degradation of environment and merciless cutting of trees which is main cause of ecological balance, the concerned agencies should make coordinated efforts to save the situation from further degradation. The Committee suggested various measures in this direction which included framing of clear cut forest policy, demarcation of forest land, gearing up of Forest Protection Force to check illegal felling, smuggling and theft of timber and constant forestation of such compartments where due to some reasons felling has taken place.
The Committee urged the Forest Department to secure land in lieu of widening of roads passing through the forest land from the concerned department that leads cutting of some trees in the process and using the said land for re-plantation. This should be made mandatory while giving NOC by the Department, even for construction of new roads, crossing through the forest land, the Committee observed.
The Committee directed the Social Forestry Department to take immediate steps for beautification of urban areas and launching of massive plantation drive on the roadsides. Waste government land should be brought under the purview of plantation by the department. At the sites of road widening, a track should be kept and plantation should be the regular process on such strips, the Committee opined.
While giving details of measures initiated by the Department to protect the forests, Commissioner/Secretary, Forests Mr. Najam-us-Saqib informed that the State Forest Policy is at the final stage adding that the steps are afoot to demarcate the forest land with latest technology. He assured the Committee that Department would take necessary measures to strengthen the Forest Protection Force. He welcomed the suggestions of the Committee and asserted that all these valuable points would be utilized as guidelines for the betterment of the department in future.
Mr. Najam further apprised the Committee that despite many odds, the Department has been generating revenue from its sources more than Rs. 50 crore annually. He, however, admitted that the revenue could be enhanced with improved infrastructure for which the efforts are being made, the Commissioner added.
Chief Conservator of Forests (HQ), Mr. A.K.Singh apprised the Committee that under the CM’s Participatory Afforestation Scheme, the Department has covered 150 hectares of land during the year 2004-05 and 940 hectares have been covered during the current year. The stress has been given on the degraded forest areas with community participation. He said that one village has been taken from each forest division and people of the areas have been given due awareness for protecting the same, as the local people would utilize their produces, said Mr. Singh.
Those present in the meeting included, legislators Mr. Mohammad Sarfraz Khan, Mr. Shahjahan Dar, Mr Usman Abdul Majid, Mr. Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sofi, Chief Wild Life Warden, Mr. A.K.Shrivastava, Director Social Forestry, Mr. Shafat Ahmed, Director Environment, Mr. S.M.Khan, Regional Director, Pollution Control Board, Mr. S.K.Sinha, Additional Secretary, Assembly Mr. G.N.Mir and senior officers of other departments. |
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