Forest ecosystems mgmt project launched

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, July 24

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the Rs 800-crore “Improvement of Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Management and Livelihoods” project aimed at conservation of bio-diversity and sustainable socio-economic development of the state on Monday.

The project will involve management of forest ecological system management, protection of bio-diversity, livelihood improvement and strengthening of socio-economic development through environment conservation efforts and will be implemented in six districts of Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Mandi, Bilaspur, Shimla and Kinnaur.

Thakur said under the project works would be carried out through Rural Forest Development Society and Bio-diversity Management Committees constituted for Joint Forest Management. As many as 460 committees would be constituted under this project. The tenure of the project would be 10 years.

The Chief Minister said a special provision had been made for the communities depending on collection and extraction of herbs and people involved in this avocation would be provided services of experts for collection of herbs and for its proper marketing, he added.

He said that pasture land and grass lands would also be improved under this project and efforts would be made to ensure active participation of the people in afforestation.

Exhorting the people to plant at least one sapling, the Chief Minister said new concept for tree plantation must be adopted such as “Mitr Tree” or “Gotra Tree” should be introduced according to the topography and geographic conditions of the respective area under which a person can adopt one tree as a Gotra Tree or a Friend Tree and vow to protect it throughout his life.

He said the involvement of local populace must also be ensured for the conservation of trees and motivate them for tree plantation.

Forest, Transport and Youth Services and Sports Minister Govind Singh Thakur said this project was the result of benevolence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.

Chief Representative of JICA Katsuo Matsumoto said that this project would not only help in environment improvement but also go a long way in reducing human-wildlife conflict.