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Rajasthan
By Our Special Correspondent
JAIPUR, SEPT. 11. Rajasthan has sought a special economic package from the Centre for development of forests and environment keeping in view the peculiar geographical features of the desert State. The State cannot be placed on par with others where environment is well-protected, feels the State Government. The natural factors protected environment in other States with an abundance of water resources, good forest cover and big rivers and lakes, the State Minister for Forests and Environment, Laxminarain Dave, pointed out at a national conference of Forest Ministers and chiefs of Pollution Control Boards in New Delhi on Thursday. The Union Minister for Forests and Environment, A. Raja, Union Minister of State, Namonarain Meena, and senior officials of the Centre and various States were present at the conference.
Great challenge
Mr. Dave said Rajasthan was the largest State in the country and its area comprised 11 per cent of the total land. "The mighty Thar desert is spread over two-thirds of the State, whereas the forest cover is found on merely 9.5 per cent of the area. In these circumstances, conservation of bio-diversity is a great challenge before the State,'' he said. He drew the Centre's attention to the fact that Rajasthan had to face acute droughts as many as 26 times over the last century and added that due to inhospitable conditions, it was estimated that only 20 per cent of its area could be brought under vegetation cover. "To bring Rajasthan up to the national average of 33 per cent, the State Government needs special assistance from the Centre,'' Mr. Dave said.
Central aid
The Minister said Central aid was also essential for the conservation of important wetlands, such as the world-famous Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary in Bharatpur and Sambhar lake. Terming the proposal to formulate a comprehensive policy for environment protection as laudable, he said that it should be more practical and balanced. Mr. Dave felt that the problems on the environment front were a result of "conflicts between man and nature, present and future and economic progress and environment''.
People's participation
Calling for resolution of these conflicts by ensuring sustainable growth, he said that no State could come out of the crisis without people's participation, a strict law and Central assistance. Referring to the procedure for obtaining environmental clearance, Mr. Dave said it was a time-consuming process taking 28 to 30 months, and suggested that it should be cut short to three months. He also underlined the need for developing less expensive and practical techniques to check pollution caused by biomedical waste. He said the State Government had submitted a proposal to the Centre for development of a site for the storage and disposal of hazardous waste. The State Environment Secretary, Lalit Mehra, and other officials of the department from the State also attended the conference.
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