Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 10: Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, Mian Altaf Ahmad has instructed the officers of Wullar Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) to maintain ecological balance while implementing Wullar Conservation Project.
He directed that the plantation process should be banned henceforth in the catchment areas of the lake and the existing lot of trees should be felled down to make lake pollution free and maintain its pristine glory.
The Minister was reviewing the progress of the project at an officers meeting here today.
Commissioner Secretary Forests, Sheikh Aijaz Iqbal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Vinod Ranjan, Chief Executive Officer, WUCMA, Abdul Razaq, Chief Conservator Forests, I. K. Sharma, Director Fisheries, L. K. Dogra besides other senior officers of Forest Department were present on the occasion.
Mian Altaf said that environment protection should be priority of the authority and directed officers to take forward the project in a planned and systematic manner. He asked concerned officers to handover identified portion of lake to Fisheries Department for establishment of fish ponds for which Rs. 30 lakh have already been earmarked.
The meeting was informed that Rs 16 crore stands expended against Rs. 30 crore released in order to undertake afforestation and protection of wild life in various areas in the State. The enumeration of compartment No. 1, 2 and 4 have been completed while the same work in compartment No. 3, 5, and 6 is expected to be completed within next two weeks, it was added.
The meeting was told that 3.24 lakh cubic meters of the lake have been de-silted apart from carrying out minor civil works.
Regarding procurement of machinery, the Minister said that the matter would be taken up with Finance Department for allocation of more funds.
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