Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 17: The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) headed by Chief Secretary, B R Sharma in its 93rd meeting held here, discussed and cleared several proposals for allowing use of forest land for developmental projects in different forest divisions of the State.
The FAC stressed on the Soil Conservation and Forest Departments to ensure regular monitoring of works associated with road construction, laying of power transmission lines and other public utilities.
“Under no circumstances should the cut & fill operations associated with development works damage forest slopes and impede precious streams”, Chief Secretary said, adding that protection and stabilization works, plantations and eco-restoration works carried by the user agencies must be strictly as per the contract agreement and in line with the standing instructions of the FAC.
Chief Secretary also underscored the need to harmonize development requirements of the people and maintaining forest ecology and asked the Forest Department to proactively ensure that all requisite mitigation measures are taken to safeguard precious forest ecology from any adverse impact of development works.
The FAC reiterated the direction on minimum felling of trees and undertaking compensatory afforestation in lieu of diversion of forest land for non forest use.
Financial Commissioner Revenue, Pramod Kumar Jain, Financial Commissioner Planning & Development, B B Vyas, Principal Secretary Forest Department, R K Gupta, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Navin K Choudhary and other officers were present in the meeting.
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