Biodiversity conservation in MP

Bhopal, Aug 4: The Madhya Pradesh government has started a massive exercise in conservation of biodiversity by creating awareness through biodiversity management committees at different levels.

Such committees have been constituted for 48 district panchayats, 313 block panchayats, 14 municipal corporations, 87 municipal councils, 237 town panchayats and 23,038 Gram panchayats with the inclusion of people's representatives and subject experts.

To activate the committees, grants have also been extended except to the Gram panchayat level committees, official sources said, adding workshops, seminars and meetings would be organised at different level to raise awareness among the people, government organisations and NGOs.

Apart from documentation of existing biodiversity like medicinal plants, crops and fauna, steps would also be taken to prevent extraction of bio-resources adversely affecting life, culture or employment to local people.

Biodiversity technical support groups have also been set up at district and block level to provide guidance to the committees, the sources added.

A separate department has also been set up for the promotion of biodiversity in Madhya Pradesh.

UNI