 Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 9: Chief Secretary, B. V. R. Subrahmanyam chaired the 17th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) here and extensively reviewed the implementation of the Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) of Forest and Wildlife Departments for the Year 2019-20 approved in January, 2019.
Principal Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring, Commissioner/Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment, PCCF, J&K, Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K, Chairman, SPCB, Director, Soil & Water Conservation, representative of MoEF&CC, Regional Office Chandigarh and other senior officers participated in the meeting. NGO member Shri Nazir-B-Nazir also attended the meeting as special invitee.
Shri Sarvesh Rai, APCCF(CAMPA) made a detailed presentation on the physical and financial achievements registered against the approved Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) under CAMPA for the year 2019-20.
While reviewing the contribution of CAMPA towards conservation and restoration of Forests in the State, the Committee was informed that against the 13,000 ha of forest area diverted under Jammu and Kashmir Forest Conservation Act for development works till date, more than 45000 ha degraded forest area has been treated under CAMPA.
Chief Secretary emphasised on effective utilization of CAMPA funds for compensatory afforestation particularly in degraded forest areas, soil moisture conservation, wildlife management, catchment area treatment and increasing green cover outside forests areas.
Further, to promote transparency, Chief Secretary directed the Forest Department to separately upload the coordinates/Maps of CAMPA works on the website of J&K Forest Department besides uploading the same on the website of e-green watch portal of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Committee also reviewed the status of implementation of the directions issued during the 16th Steering Committee meeting of CAMPA regarding undertaking an audit of watch & ward enganged under CAMPA and in the Forest Department and sought a compliance reports by June, 15 and June, 22, 2019 respectively.
Given the importance of conservation and protection of flora, fauna and forest wealth, Chief Secretary urged the officers of the Forest Department to redouble their efforts so that afforestation and compensatory plantation is undertaken in a mission mode for maintaining of the ecological balance in the State. The Department was further directed to expedite updating of Forest Demarcation records and installation of boundary pillars in order to prevent encroachment of forest lands.
The Forest Department was asked to further examine the desirability of its proposal regarding setting up of Smriti Vans (Remembeance Parks) in Territorial Division Headquarters by consulting various stakeholders and also formulate a comprehensive scheme for management of the Smriti Vans.
NGO member, Nazir-B-Nazir thanked the Committee for sanctioning of the biodiversity park at Harran (near Ganderbal) and sought early completion of the project. Chief Secretary directed the Forest Department to explore the possibility of completing the said biodiversity park project within three years instead of five years. |
