June 22, 2009 : Shri J.P. Nadda, Forest Minister while stressing the necessity for constructing rain water harvesting structures for conserving water disclosed that the State Government would soon implement a new scheme 'Van Sarovar' in the State under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA). He was addressing a high level meeting of senior officers of Forest, Animal Husbandry and Rural Development here today.
Forest Minister said that five Van Sarovars per Forest Division would be constructed throughout the State under the Scheme and added that it would go a long way in checking the depletion of ground water level besides providing ample water bodies for people for various purposes.
Shri Nadda said that plantation activities would be carried out by Forest Department under NREGA and added that shelves to the tune of Rs. 36 crore have been approved by various gram sabhas under this component for the year 2009-10. He directed the department to prepare plantation scheme for private lands also.
He said that three monkey sterilization centres at Tutikandi in Shimla, Sastar in Hamirpur and Gopalpur in Kangra district have been made operational where 5000 monkeys have been sterilized this year. He said that another monkey sterilization centre in Una district will be made functional within 6 months and added that a target of sterilization of 20,000 monkeys has been fixed for the year 2009-10.
Forest Minister said that Himachal Pradesh has the unique distinction of bringing about 13 percent of total geographical area of the State under protected area network against national average of 4.7 percent. Effective wild life conservation is being ensured through 33 Wild Life Sanctuaries and 2 National Parks in the State, he added.
Shri Avay Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest detailed out the activities of the Forest Department.
Shri Arvind Mehta, Principal Secretary, Finance, Shri V.C. Pharka, Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Shri Shrikant Baldi, Secretary, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri A.K. Gupta, PCCF (Wildlife), Shri A.K. Gulati, Additional PCCF, Shri D.P. Sinha, CCF and other senior officers of the State Government were also present in the meeting.
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By : News Team
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