Latest news with #Parivesh
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
6k trees in elephant corridor face axe for Doon airport expansion
Dehradun: Around 6,000 trees in Uttarakhand's Shivalik Elephant Reserve are likely to be felled for the planned expansion of Jolly Grant Airport, forest officials said on Thursday. The proposal involves diversion of approximately 48 hectares (about 110 acres) of forest land, and the tree enumeration in the affected area has been completed. NS Dobhal, ranger of the Thano Forest Range under the Dehradun Forest Division, said, "About 6,000 trees have been counted in the area and the details have been sent to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), which is overseeing the project, for further action." He added that the next step involves the user agency uploading a proposal on the Parivesh portal as per Forest Conservation Act guidelines. The forest department will then examine the proposal before it is sent to the ministry for further clearances and approvals. Shahwant Sharma, manager of Jolly Grant Airport, told TOI, "The state govt is in the final stages of identifying the land to be handed over to the Airports Authority of India for the airport's expansion. We expect the handover to be completed within the next three months. The state govt is overseeing both the land acquisition and the tree removal process." The development has drawn criticism from conservationists, especially as it comes despite chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's 2022 assurance, made during Wildlife Week, that "no trees would be cut in the reserve for development projects". The area identified for diversion falls within a riverine ecosystem that sustains elephants, leopards and several species of antelope. Conservationists have flagged concerns over habitat fragmentation in the Thano, Badkot and Rishikesh forest ranges due to rapid urbanisation and infrastructure projects. "Forests are vital for recharging river systems. The wellbeing of this forest directly affects the Chandrabhaga river, which supports both wildlife and local communities. Many animals come regularly to its banks to drink," said veteran environmentalist Ravi Chopra. The airport expansion has faced ecological scrutiny since 2020. The Shivalik Elephant Reserve was briefly denotified to facilitate the project, but was later re-notified following legal challenges and public outcry. A previous proposal had sought the diversion of 87 hectares (214 acres) of forest land, requiring nearly 9,700 trees to be cut, but it was shelved after strong opposition. In addition to the airport project, around 4,000 trees in the Shivalik Elephant Reserve were also marked for felling for the proposed four-laning of the Bhaniyawala–Rishikesh road. The road would run close to Rajaji Tiger Reserve, which is home to tigers, elephants, leopards, and several species of antelope. That project too faced protests from residents and environmentalists. In Aug 2020, around 2,500 century-old Sal trees were cut down for the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to reduce travel time by 15 minutes. Conservationists then also objected to the removal of trees from the forest corridor.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Forest land title deed applications from Thrissur to be submitted to Centre by June 25
Revenue Minister K. Rajan has directed that all applications from Thrissur district seeking Central approval for forest land titles be uploaded to the Parivesh portal and submitted to the Union government by June 25. The decision was taken in a review meeting held on Wednesday. The applications, which have undergone joint verification, are being mapped with detailed surveys and transferred to topographic sheets before submission via the portal. Currently, 4,111 applications from various taluks have been prepared in this manner. Survey teams Acting on the Minister's special directive, eight survey teams were constituted and equipped with dedicated vehicles and other resources. These teams have surveyed 892.5301 hectares and prepared specific sketches of the land. , Also, a dedicated office was established exclusively to handle forest land title matters for the first time. This office is now playing a key role in expediting the uploading process to the Parivesh portal. A district-level committee comprising the Collector, DFO, and other officials will review and approve the entries made in the portal. Breakdown of applications being sent from different taluks is Thrissur (1,590); Talappilly (1,643); Chalakudy (1,430); Kunnamkulam (19) and Mukundapuram (57). Additionally, 230 title deeds are ready for distribution and 359 title deed files are currently in the final stages of processing, according to Mr. Rajan. 8,355 applications The Minister asked to speed up joint verification procedures in the 8,355 applications received in the district to maintain momentum in the title distribution process. The review meeting was attended by Land Revenue Joint Commissioner A. Geetha, District Collector Arjun Pandian and other officials.
Hans India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Take steps for development work in forest areas: Collector Abhilasha
Khanapur: Nirmal district Collector Abhilasha Abhinav has ordered that the officials of the relevant departments should work together in coordination to undertake development works in the forest areas of the district. The Collector held a review meeting with officials of the Revenue, Forest, Electricity, R&B, Panchayat Raj and Irrigation departments at the Collectorate on Tuesday. She suggested that the departments should send proposals to the Forest department for the construction of infrastructure like roads, bridges and electricity in remote tribal and forest areas. He said that prior permission should be obtained from the Forest department for development work and that each department should prepare an action plan in coordination with each other. He clearly told the officials that permission should be obtained through the Parivesh portal for the establishment of power lines. She wanted steps to be taken to ensure that the development programs undertaken are completed quickly. The Collector suggested that the Forest department should send the necessary guidelines to other departments quickly. Additional Collector Kishore Kumar, District Forest Officer Nagini Bhanu, RDO Ratnakalyan, officials from the relevant departments of Engineering, Revenue, Electricity, and others participated in this meeting.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Forestry university work catches pace; to be 5th in Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur: The groundwork for Gorakhpur's fifth university dedicated to forestry and horticulture is picking up pace following CM Yogi Adityanath's announcement. State govt has already earmarked Rs 50 crore in the 2025-26 budget and detailed project report is in final stages of preparation, said district magistrate Krishna Karunesh. The proposed site for the university has been identified. It is 50 hectares reserved forest land in Campierganj's Bhaari Vaish Block. To comply with Forest Conservation and Augmentation Act, 2023, state has applied for central clearance through the Parivesh portal. In exchange, 50 acres of non-forest land in Khajni will be handed over to forest department for compensatory afforestation, said district forest officer Vikas Yadav. The university, once operational, will be the first of its kind in North India and only the second such institution in the country, following Telangana. Globally, it will be the fourth forestry university. The CM had announced plan for the university on Sep 6, 2024, during inauguration of the world's first red-headed vulture conservation centre. UP forest, environment and climate change department has given in-principle approval for the project. The draft Act for the university has also been submitted to state govt. The Rs 621.26 crore project, prepared by PWD, includes 6 hectares for main buildings and hostels, with the remaining space reserved for green cover. Apart from forestry, courses in agroforestry, social forestry and horticulture will also be offered, opening significant employment avenues for youth.
