CS emphasizes on close monitoring of dev works in forest areas

Srinagar: The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) headed by Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam on Wednesday in its 114th meeting cleared 31 proposals regarding use of 87 hectares of forest land for various developmental projects of public importance.
The FAC after detailed deliberations cleared the proposals in the road, railway, telecom and transmission sectors on the specified terms and conditions.
Financial Commissioner Revenue, Commissioner/Secretary Forest, Ecology & Environment Department, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J&K, Commissioner/Secretary PWD (R&B), Director Soil and Water Conservation Department, J&K, Director Environment and Remote Sensing Department, J&K, Director Social Forestry Department, J&K, Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K, Managing Director State Forest Corporation, J&K, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kashmir, CCF FCA/Member Secretary FAC,J&K, Dr.G A Bhat, Environmentalist, other senior officers of Forest and PMGSY and representatives of User Agencies participated in the meeting.
The proposals cleared included widening of Basohli Bani Bhaderwah road by GREF, construction of road from Dessu to Lehenwan Margan Pass by PMGSY, muck dumping sites for widening of National Highway by NHAI in Ramban, erection of ground based telecom for rollout of broadband wireless access service to Amarnath Yatris at Sonamarg/Baltal and in Chandanwari, rural road facilities in Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Ramnagar, Basohli, Ramban, Mahore areas through PMGSY in Jammu region and in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Kashmir division.
While reiterating the directions on ensuring bare minimum felling of trees as far as possible, undertaking compensatory afforestation over alternate land in lieu of diversion of forest land and observance of all FAC conditions, Chief Secretary asked the Forest department to ensure that the Monitoring Committees constituted for the purpose closely monitor the works being undertaken in the forest areas.
Chief Secretary further asked the User Agencies to strictly adhere to the instructions issued by the Forest Department wherein User Agencies have been asked to consult the officers of the Forest department at the project conceptualization stage, to ensure working out proposals/alignments which involve minimum felling of tress and preservation of flora and fauna.