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Gehlot takes green agenda forward

JAIPUR: After launching an ambitious greening programme, “Harit Rajasthan”, in the desert State recently, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has gone the whole hog on his green agenda in the modified Budget for the State for 2009-10 presented by him in the Assembly the other day. Apart from promising a Forest Policy for the State, he has announced an eco-tourism policy, a tiger protection force for Project Tiger reserves of Ranthambhore and Sariska, and setting up of an Environment Mission.

Mr. Gehlot has also promised to provide a separate Environment Policy and a “Vision document for restoration of degraded forests”.

“If only the tree plantation drive assumes the form of a people’s movement, Rajasthan can bring about a basic change in its weather conditions,” says Mr. Gehlot. “I want all political parties, government and non-government agencies, trade and industry bodies, MLAs and general public to join the campaign,” he adds.

The personnel for the Tiger Protection Force will be picked up and trained in guarding and protecting the threatened big cats in the parks. With the help of the National Bank for Rural Development (NABARD), water sources development work would be taken up in the forest areas of Sawai Man Singh sanctuary, Project Tiger Parks of Ranthambhore and Sariska and in the bird sanctuary, Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, for the next three years at an expenditure of Rs.42.54 crore.

The State would accord priority to the protection of endangered species of plants and herbs, giving special emphasis to the protection of the desert shrub, “Googal” (Commiphora wightii) in the districts of Jodhpur, Barmer and Jaisalmer with technical expertise of the National Medicinal Plant Board at a cost of Rs.7 crore.

The accentuated emphasis on environment is partly due to the realisation of a serious possible adverse impact of global warning but mostly it is due to the severe water crisis facing the desert and semi-desert regions of Rajasthan which cover 10 per cent of the total land area in the country but has only one per cent of its water resources. Under the “Harit Rajasthan” programme, the target is to carry out tree plantation across 2.50 lakh hectares of land in the next five years making use of various schemes including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The sudden demand for saplings would be met by diversified nurseries which would come up with the support of farmers, self-help groups and NGOs. The State will also have a Biological Park set up at Jodhpur as per the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority.

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