The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : More biodiversity parks to be set up

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More biodiversity parks to be set up

Special Correspondent

Wildlife sanctuary planned at Kakkayam

Benoy Viswom says forest policy will be announced soon.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Forests and Housing Benoy Viswom has said his department will take steps to utilise several tracts of land belonging to it to establish biodiversity parks.

Addressing a special press conference on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government here on Thursday, Mr. Viswom said biodiversity parks would be established near Nedumbassery on the land the Forest Department got as compensation for releasing land for setting up a radar station in the high ranges. Similar parks would be established at Chaliyam, once a famous timber market, Munnar, a leading tourism spot. The government also proposed to establish a Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary with Kakkayam as its headquarters.

He said the Forest Policy, to be announced soon, would give emphasis on forestation with people’s participation. The Vana Samrakshna Samithis (VSS) would be strengthened and would be given more roles, especially in relation to collection and marketing of forest produce. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill would be implemented to ensure the rights of tribal people living on forest produce.

Forest produce

A coordination committee had been set up and steps would be taken on the basis of the guidelines issued by it. “For the first time, the right to collect forest produce will be vested with tribal people. This will also remove middlemen,” he said. The government would establish an apex body for the VSS and this would be entrusted with the marketing of forest produce, he said.

The “Ente maram” scheme, implemented in schools, would now be expanded to cover higher secondary schools and colleges under the title “Nammude maram.”

He said from June 1, it would be mandatory for all elephants to wear a microchip identity. The department was discussing with insurance companies and elephant owners about the possibilities of an insurance scheme that would give third party coverage for elephants.

One lakh houses

Mr. Viswom said the one-lakh houses renovation project would be launched on June 17, covering 60,000 houses. The government would have to come up with Rs.50 crore as subsidy for this project. It already had Rs.22 crore and another Rs.6 crore had been collected through sale of lottery. His department hoped to cover the gap through innovative levies such as the one per cent cess on luxury houses.

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