A work plan should be made for forest, water and soil conservation and for rejuvenating the drying water resources under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), said the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat while reviewing a meeting of forest department at the State Secretariat here on Saturday.
He said that more emphasis should be on linking local people with employment through the plantation, water conservation and related works under CAMPA.
Rawat said that the Van Panchayats that are doing good work under Uttarakhand Forest Resource management project should be honoured at the district and state level.
He suggested that under the Uttarakhand Forest Resource management, stress should be laid on improving the livelihood of the people, on the treatment of the landslides in forested areas and capacity building of the Van panchayats.
CM said that in 750 Van panchayats that have been selected under the Uttarakhand Forest Resource management project, activities such as water conservation, plantation of a better quality of fruit-bearing trees, fodder species, medicinal trees should be promoted.
For conserving water in traditional ways, the ‘Chal-Khals’ should be conserved and check dams and ponds should be constructed, he said.
Rawat said that spice farming, plantation and aromatic farming should be taken up according to the geographical situation in different parts of the state so that Van Panchayats can earn economically and bring improvement in the livelihood of the people. He said that rejuvenation of the drinking water sources should also be taken up under Van Panchayats and all the works should be geotagged respectively. He said that all the departments should coordinate with each other to make the project a success.
The meeting was also attended by the Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat, Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Ranveer Singh, ( ACS) Om Prakash, PPCF Jairaj and others.