CM Hemant Soren Reviews Progress of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department
Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren today held a high-level review of the updated progress of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department at Jharkhand Mantralaya. During the meeting, to provide a new direction to the conservation, development, and scientific management of the state's forest resources, Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren instructed officials that the technical and digital records of all forest areas since the formation of the state should be prepared within one month.
He said that a system should be developed from which the forest areas of the entire state can be observed with a single click and information about their actual form, structure, and current status can be made available. For this, instructions were also given to ensure the layering of digital maps of forest areas. The Chief Minister said that extensive changes have occurred in the forest areas after the formation of the state. Forests have expanded in some areas, while eco-tourism projects and guest houses have been developed in others. On the other hand, changes have also been observed in forest deforestation, expansion of mining areas, and the boundaries of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. In such a situation, preparing updated and scientific digital documents of forest areas is the need of the hour.
The Chief Minister clearly stated that the security of forests and their sustainable development are among the highest priorities of the state. For this, instructions were given to launch large-scale afforestation campaigns and prepare a plan for the scientific cutting of dry and unusable trees, so that more and more new saplings can be planted and the green cover can be continuously increased. During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the officials to prepare a better action plan for the development of forest areas by dropping seeds through helicopters in forest areas, and to expedite the payment of compensation to the dependents of persons who died due to attacks by wild elephants, as well as for damaged crops and houses.
He told the officials that there are immense possibilities for eco-tourism in Jharkhand, therefore, move forward with a better plan in this regard. The Forest Department and the Tourism Department should coordinate to accelerate the development of eco-tourism.
Afforestation work should be utility-based and in line with the local ecosystem
Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren clearly instructed the officials of the Forest Department that afforestation should not be limited only to increasing numbers, but should be utility-based and in line with the local ecosystem. He said that trees should be selected that, along with environmental protection, strengthen the livelihoods of villagers, meet the needs of livestock, and bolster the local economy. The Chief Minister instructed to ensure large-scale planting of trees like Mahua, Jamun, Karanj, Palash, Kusum, Ber, and Arjun, which are useful for tasar production, in forest and non-forest areas. He said that these trees will not only enrich biodiversity but also play an important role in increasing the income of people living in rural and forest areas. Fruit-bearing trees like Mahua, Jamun, Jackfruit, Amla, Chironji, and Ber will provide nutrition and additional income to the local people, while trees like Palash, Kusum, and Arjun will give new impetus to the lac and tasar industries. Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren said that a large population of Jharkhand resides in rural and forest areas, therefore, the afforestation plan should be such that common people get direct benefits from forest produce. He clearly stated that there is no justification for planting unusable trees, as such trees are neither useful for livestock nor fulfill the needs of the local community. Therefore, the entire afforestation strategy should be prepared keeping in mind local needs and economic utility.
Ensure effective promotion of the "Plant a Tree, Get Five Units of Free Electricity" scheme
Connecting environmental protection with urban development, Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren said that afforestation is also necessary to save cities. He asked the officials to prepare a concrete action plan to increase tree plantation in urban areas. He also directed to ensure effective promotion of the state government's "Plant a Tree, Get Free Electricity" scheme, so that more and more citizens can join this campaign. He said that under this scheme, there is a plan to provide five units of electricity free of charge for planting one tree.
Expeditious disposal of pending forest lease cases is a priority of the state government
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also emphasized the expeditious disposal of pending forest lease cases related to common citizens. He directed that the distribution of forest leases to eligible beneficiaries should be ensured without unnecessary delay, so that they can receive the benefits of the forest lease on time. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to ensure the time-bound, transparent, and effective implementation of all forest schemes related to forest development, environmental protection, and those run by the department, so that their benefits are clearly reflected. He told the officials to ensure regular monitoring of schemes and participation of local people, so that along with forest conservation, the livelihoods of villagers, tourism, and environmental balance can also be strengthened.
Focus on various commercial farming including Cashew and Bamboo
During the meeting, the Chief Minister specially emphasized promoting various commercial farming (Cashew Farming) including Cashew and Bamboo. He directed the officials to identify large land areas, plant cashew and bamboo saplings on a large scale there, and develop the possibilities of cashew production in the state, so that new sources of income can be created for the farmers. He also stressed the extensive planting of bamboo and its planned development. The Chief Minister said that by promoting bamboo-based industries and bamboo crafts, large-scale self-employment opportunities can be created in the state. This will strengthen the rural economy and provide a new market for traditional handicrafts. With the objective of strengthening the environmental balance of urban areas, the Chief Minister directed large-scale planting of Acacia and other shade-giving trees and plants. He said that a systematic urban afforestation campaign should be launched to increase the green cover in cities, reduce pollution, and provide a clean and healthy environment to the people. The Chief Minister clarified that by planting more and more trees in the state, along with bringing greenery and creating environmental balance, it is necessary to strike a balance between nature conservation, rural prosperity, employment generation, and sustainable development. In line with this thinking, effective steps should be taken towards making Jharkhand self-reliant by prioritizing useful plants suitable for local conditions and economically beneficial.
Natural resources, dense forests, wildlife, and rich biodiversity are Jharkhand's identity
The Chief Minister told the officials that Jharkhand's identity lies in its natural resources, dense forests, wildlife, and rich biodiversity. The conservation and augmentation of these natural heritage sites are among the priorities of the state government. He gave instructions to take strict steps for forest conservation, prevention of human-wildlife conflict, acceleration of development works, and to stop deforestation and tree cutting. The Chief Minister obtained detailed information from officials about the progress of Joint Forest Management, schemes and programs related to climate change, and various development schemes run by the department, and also gave them several important guidelines. Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren directed to ensure the effective implementation of schemes keeping in view the livelihoods of people living in forest areas and environmental balance along with forest conservation.
Forest Divisional Officers of all districts remained digitally connected
During the high-level review meeting held at Jharkhand Mantralaya, Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren directly interacted online with the Forest Divisional Officers of all districts of the state and reviewed in detail the progress of the Forest Department's schemes. During the meeting, the Chief Minister directly spoke to the Forest Divisional Officers of Dumka, Jamtara, and Koderma and gathered information about the current progress of forest lease distribution in their districts, afforestation work including cashew and bamboo, eco-tourism development, and progress of other major schemes. He discussed the difficulties coming in the implementation of schemes, gave necessary guidelines, and said that the outcome of every scheme should be visible in line with public interest and forest conservation goals.
During the meeting, measures for environmental protection, pollution control, and the progress of environmental compensation were discussed, and the concerned officials were instructed to ensure effective action in cases of violation of prescribed standards. Also, the utility and effective operation of the Jan Vishwas App for quick and transparent resolution of pollution control related matters were discussed.
The meeting was attended by the state's Chief Secretary Shri Avinash Kumar, Development Commissioner Shri Ajay Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department Shri Abu Bakar Siddiqui P., Secretary of Tribal Affairs and Scheduled Castes Welfare Department Shri Kripa Nand Jha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Head of Forest Force (PCCF HoFF) Shri Sanjeev Kumar, PCCF Wildlife Shri Ravi Ranjan, PCCF (ED) Shri A. T. Mishra, Chairman of Jharkhand Biodiversity Board Shri Vishwanath Shah, PCCF Wildlife Shri S. R. Natesh, MD Forest Development Corporation Shri Jabbar Singh, APCCF Shri D. Venkatesh Varlu, Member Secretary of Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board Shri Rajiv Lochan Bakshi, RCCF Dumka Shri R. Thanga Pandian, Additional Secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department Shri Bhor Singh Yadav, Additional Secretary Shri Dilip Tirkey, and other officials.