Shivalik to be declared biosphere reserve corridor soon: Ramesh

Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Monday said it would be the first inter-state biosphere reserve of the country and would be notified under the Environment Protection Act of 1986.

Admitting that this step would lead to protests,he said sand and stone miners would oppose the move,but the matter would be discussed and sorted out. He said the task was difficult as five states — Punjab,Haryana,J&K,Himachal and Uttarakhand—- were involved.

“I know there will be problems,but we have to do it,” he asserted. Mining activity would not be banned,but regulated as per the the biodiversity guidelines,he clarified.

“A monitoring committee will be set up,and it will formulate a biodiversity plan,which the miners will have to follow,” Ramesh said on the first day of the three-day sixth national meet of state bio-diversity boards.

When asked if all the states have been consulted,he said at present the Punjab Biodiversity Board has submitted the plan,which they have been considering,but talks would be held with other players too. “It’s a complex idea,but a good one. Shivaliks are important culturally and ecologically,and we all know how much damage unregulated mining has done to it,” he said.

Coming to the Centre’s commitment to save Punjab’s rivers,he said in the last one year,they have given about Rs 1,000 crore for the purpose. He said eight projects worth Rs 215 crore have been implemented in Ludhiana,Phillaur,Jalandhar,Kapurthala,Sultanpur Lodhi and Phagwara. For a new project on Sutlej in Jalandhar,Rs 211 crore have been earmarked,while for Banga,Nawanshahr,Phagwara and Phillaur,Rs 75 crore more have been set aside.

He said to conserve Beas river,projects worth Rs 124 crore for Dasuya,Tanda,Mukerian and Bholath have been cleared,while Rs 94 crore have been sanctioned for Hoshiarpur.

For Ghaggar,projects worth Rs 104 crore have been cleared,he said. Of these grants,70 per cent would be given by the Centre and Punjab would contribute the rest 30 per cent.

Ramesh said the ministry was seriously considering the proposal of the state to set up a peacock conservation centre in Bathinda on the lines of vulture breeding centre in Pinjore.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged Ramesh to set up a national institute for biodiversity education,research and training for semi-arid tropics in Punjab for the conservation of bio-diversity.

Report on cancer

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said he has asked the ICMR and Central Pollution Control Board to conduct a joint study on cancer in the Malwa region. “They are working on it and the report will be out in three to four months,” he said.

Notably,Malwa has earned the notorious distinction of being the cancer capital of the country due to high pesticide content in the soil and water.

Off the record

*Jairam Ramesh said Punjab CM has visited him five times in the last one year and never returned empty-handed. His visits cost dear to the ministry,as he always comes with a proposal and gets a nod for it.

Amused,Badal said he liked the tag of “costliest CM”,and listed more demands.

*In 2012,the 11th meeting of 194 countries on biodiversity would be held and it would not be as controversial as the Commonwealth Games,Ramesh said in jest.

*Badal forgot the name of Mizoram’s Minister for Environment and Forests H Rohluna,and referred to him as Mizoram minister throughout his address.