State seeks Centre’s help to rejuvenate environment, forests

Ravi S. Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 6

In order to revitalise and better manage environment and forests of Haryana, the state government put forth a slew of demands and suggestions to the Centre, including early approval of “perspective plan of Shivalik landscape”, exemptions from rules and enhanced funds for sustaining the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre located at Yamunanagar, today.

Participating at the Environment and Forest Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi, Environment and Forests Minister Capt Abhimanyu urged the Centre to approve the perspective plan of Shivalik landscaping promptly. The state has completed all the formalities and is ready to start work on the project.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 247 crore, and it will cover 206 villages spanning Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts.

The state governmenthas plans to submit similar perspective plans underthe rubric: “Arvalli Landscape and Plains Landscape” soon.

Capt Abhimanyu also urged for more Central funds for sustaining the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre at Yamunanagar. He informed that the state had two national parks and seven wildlife sanctuaries. Moreover, the notification of eco-sensitive zones of Sultanpur National Park had already been issued in 2010.

He lamented that although the state government had submitted the revised proposal of remaining ‘protected areas’ to the Centre in May, 2013, the latter had yet not issued the final notification. Consequently, development works of the state had been adversely affected.

He batted for exemption to the state under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, which has blanket provision enjoining a certificate from Deputy Commissioners of regarding tribal populations in the districts. As there is no tribal population in Haryana, the state may be exempted from the rule as the provision is redundant. He said the state government has decided to launch a campaign to expand the green cover in the state during the current financial year. The campaign, christened ‘Har Ghar Hariayali’, proposes to supply plants to all 47.57 lakh households in the state, he added.

Dwelling on the issue,he said emphasis will be on indigenously grown plants and shrubs for plantation. Elected representatives of local self governments will be involved in the campaign.