The Forest Department has been asked to demarcate the boundary of forest areas through DGPS survey and post the pillars on ground for line demarcation during the implementation of Annual Plan of Operations (APO) 2012-13.
The department has also been asked to complete construction of their infrastructural requirement during the same period. Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik has given these instructions while presiding over the State level Steering Committee of State CAMPA held here recently, wherein Forest and Environment Principal Secretary RK Sharma outlined various issues for discussion. Development Commissioner Jugal Kishore Mohapatra advised the department to develop permanent nurseries at district, sub-division and block levels with round the clock activities.
While the State had submitted an APO of Rs 294 crore for 2012-13 to the Centre, the latter accorded approval for Rs 205 crore.
The State CAMPA has Rs 60 crore available with it. The committee approved the revised APO for 2012-13 worth Rs 265 crores. The main components of the revised Annual Plan of Operations (APO) include conservation, regeneration, management of natural forests, forest protection, infrastructural development, wild life management and capacity building.
It has been decided that the system of forest protection squads will be continued in 18 vulnerable areas for which Rs 859 lakh have been earmarked. Another Rs 445 lakh has been earmarked for extending this activity to 14 more additional sites. Similarly, earlier fire fighting was carried on in 20 divisions. The committee has approved for extension of this activity to 17 additional divisions. It was reported in the meeting that because of continued fire fighting operations, the fire incidences during last year has been reduced by 50 per cent.
The Chief Secretary instructed the department to state basic infrastructure requirement for strengthening the forest range units during Annual Plan of Operations (APO) 2012-13. An amount of Rs 83 crore has been allotted towards this.
The main infrastructural works proposed include development of water bodies for wild animals, construction of malkhnas, seizure yards, causeway, culverts, tube-wells, common facility toilets, nurseries, boundary walls, hostels in forest training institutes, office buildings and residential quarters, etc. Development Commissioner Mohapatra suggested the department to develop permanent nurseries at district, sub-division and block levels with year-round activities of growing the seedlings so that the forest creation activities become a part of the rural livelihood. The Chief Secretary instructed that these nurseries should grow those plants that people need and demand. It was proposed to develop 400 to 500 such permanent nurseries as per the demand.
Available data shows CAMPA has been in operation in State from January, 2010. Since then, 3 Annual Plan of Operations (APO)s have been implemented.
In course of these APOs, soil and moister conservation has been done in 138,669 hectares; silvicultural operations have been done in 154,262 hectares; bamboo forest has been regenerated in 100,989 hectares and block plantation has been done in 32,683 hectares.
Seedlings have been distributed for farm forestry in 96, 46, 600 hectares and avenue plantation in 487,917 hectares. Similarly, compensatory afforestation has been done in 12,030 hectares and old teak plants in 1,795 hectares have been protected. Bald hills over 535 hectares have been planted with green cover.
It has been decided in the meeting that raising of seedlings and value addition activities for Non Timber Forest Produce will be emphasized inAnnual Plan of Operations (APO) 2013-14. Chief Secretary Patnaik has instructed the department to prepare and place Annual Plan of Operations (APO) for 2013-14 within two months. PCCF PN Padhee presented the Annual Plan of Operations (APO) in the meeting.
PCCF (Nodal) RN Reddy along with other senior officials participated in deliberations.