Dehradun: Stressing that environment and progress can supplement each other, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today spoke of softening and redefining of parameters to allow quarrying in rivers.
Javadekar, after meeting with Uttrakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and senior state officials, also agreed to empower his ministry's nodal officer in Dehradun for forest clearance upto five hectare forest land in 13 types of projects like road, water, electricity and others.
“The Environment Minister agreed to empower the nodal officer of his Ministry in Dehradun for forest clearance upto 5 hectare forest land in 13 types of projects like road, water, electricity etc.
“The Union Minister also assured to consider releasing 1,200 crore rupees under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). He also assured to soften and redefine the parameters to allow quarrying in the rivers,” a ministry press statement said.
The minister was on a one-day visit to Dehradun where he attended the annual convocation of 2012-14 course of the Indian Forest Service Officer trainees of Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy.
Rawat said that environment and progress can supplement each other and they are not contrary to each other as is the general perception.
However, the government will not tolerate any attempt to corrode the environment in the state which was struck by the horrific natural disaster last year, he added.
Javadekar also laid foundation stone of UNESCO centre for “Natural World Heritage Management and Training for Asia and Pacific Region” at Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun.
During the convocation ceremony, the minister exhorted the young forest officers to perform their duty to the society with passion, compassion and integrity.
“The forest cover of India has to be increased from present level of 24 per cent to 33 percent, and to achieve it the forest officers will have to be innovative in policy, process and outreach,” he said.
The Minister also gave away diploma and awards to 78 officer trainees of the 2012-14 batch, including 22 lady officers and 2 officer trainees from Bhutan. He urged the Wildlife Institute of India to help schools and colleges by creating environment related syllabus in intelligible language.
He said if we wish to attain 10 per cent of growth rate, we should also work for expanding the green cover.
