Minister of Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan said that the MoEF supports Uttarakhand’s demand for green bonus in principle. A regional office of the ministry will be opened in Dehradun to facilitate swifter processing of forest land transfer cases for repair and rebuilding works in the disaster-affected State.
In what might be seen by some as a decision detrimental to the environment, it was also decided that for construction works on forest lands, the compensatory afforestation will have to be facilitated on an area equal to the land used, instead of double the area used as is the norm. The Minister said this after holding a meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, Cabinet ministers and Forest Department officers on the plan for rebuilding Uttarakhand after the recent destruction.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister stressed on the need for restoring road connectivity to the numerous villages and areas which had lost road links in the disaster. It was decided that a regional office of the MoEF will be opened in Dehradun to facilitate speedy transfer of forest land.
Natarajan said that the Government of India will fully support Uttarakhand in its rebuilding efforts and provide all possible assistance. The MoEF regional office in Dehradun will first function from a camp office and later after the necessary formalities are fulfilled, a full-time regional office will be established here. Responding to the request for utilisation of forest land for resettlement of disaster-affected villages, the Minister asked the State to send a proposal regarding the land area needed in different localities and assured that the issue will be considered proactively.
For this purpose, it was decided that civil Soyam land will be considered first, followed by degraded forest land and then forest land if need be. In view of the special circumstances caused by the disaster, it was decided that for construction works on forest land, the compensatory afforestation will have to be undertaken on an area equal to the area used in stead of double the area.
Responding to the State’s demand for green bonus, the Minister said that with over 65 per cent of Uttarakhand’s geographical area under forest cover, the State provides priceless ecological service to the nation. Considering this, the MoEF approves the State’s demand in principle and the Minister will advocate this demand in the Planning Commission.