State advisory committee formed for wetland conservation

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Gangtok, May 7 (UNI) The Sikkim government has constituted a nine-member advisory committee to prepare a management action plan for the conservation of its wetland complexes.

At least six wetland complexes in Sikkim were included in the National Wetland Conservation Programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

''The committee will provide technological inputs and innovative suggestions for the conservation and improvement of wetland conservations,'' Mr D B Shrestha, PCCF-cum-Secretary, state forest department told UNI.

''The committee will also meet regularly to discuss various issues concerning the programme and suggest measures for long term management of the wetland conservation of the state,'' he said.

The selected wetland complexes under the national programme were Changu, Phedong and Tamzey in East district, Keochopari (West district), Guru Dongmar and Tem Bao in North Sikkim.

A government notification claimed that there are more than 227 wetlands in the state with majority of them lying in the higher altitudes. The highest altitude wetland is Cho-Lhamu at 18000 ft in North Sikkim.

With most of the above wetlands failing to meet the national guidelines of the mandatory 5 hectares size as an individual entity, the state forest department has cobbled wetlands into complexes. For example, the Changu wetland complex has Changu lake, Manjur lake, Sherthang lake as its components.

The forest department prepared an index list of 116 wetlands in the state last year during a survey which was followed by an inspection by the Ministry of Environment and Forests that led to the inclusion of the six wetlands in the national programme, Mr Shrestha said.

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