Wildlife conservation centre likely

Chandigarh, Mar 21: For the conservation and development of wildlife and endangered species, the Haryana Government has decided to set up conservation and breeding centres besides promoting eco-tourism in the state.

Haryana Minister of State for Forests Kiran Choudhary stated this in a message issued yesterday on the occasion of the World Forestry Day.

In her message, Choudhary said that forests play a very important role in our daily lives. She stressed upon the need for promoting environmental awareness and conservation. Giving details of the activities of the Government, she said that help of Village Forests Committees was being taken for Joint Forests Management in rural areas of Haryana.

She said a share of the forests' produce would also be given to such committees. Self Help Groups (SHGs) of poor rural women were being formed to improve their economic status by providing them financial and technical aid in various income generating activities.

The Minister said timber markets would soon be set up for providing optimum price to the tree growers and to facilitate timber trade for them and wood based industries.

Choudhary informed that small dams were being constructed in hills of Shivalik and Aravalli for conserving soil and water, for increasing the water table and for providing water for irrigational purposes.

She said herbal parks were being set up in every district of the state for spreading awareness about the importance of wild medicinal plants. She said that people were cutting down trees at a large scale either out of ignorance or due to greed, which was neither good for the environment nor for the society.

She said World Forestry Day also aimed at generating awareness among people to learn how forests could be managed and used sustainably for various purposes.

Choudhary said activities such as planting of trees and highlighting the urgency to bring about increase in the green cover were required to be stressed upon for preserving and protecting the environment.

UNI