Dehradun: A meeting of the High-Level Committee of the Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Committee was held on Tuesday at the Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. Various works of the committee were reviewed, and several proposals were approved.
The Chief Secretary sought updated information on the plants planted under the Walnut Development Program and directed the concerned Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) to assess the situation and submit a report. He also asked for clarity on the current status of fruit production benefiting farmers under this scheme, so that future planning can be carried out more effectively.
The meeting also reviewed soil erosion control and sediment disaster mitigation works being carried out with technical support from Japan. The Chief Secretary directed that key aspects of these technologies be shared with the Disaster Management Department to help prevent landslides in the state.
He also emphasized focusing on capacity building, market access, and handholding of self-help groups, clusters, and state-level federations linked to livelihoods. He suggested initiating work on lantana management on the lines of the ongoing efforts for pine needles (pirul).
Senior officials from the Forest Department were present at the meeting, and detailed discussions were held on the progress of various schemes.
