19-Jun-2023: National Workshop On Integrated Management Of Sediments In River Basins And Reservoirs For Sustainable Development
The Central Water Commission under Ministry of Jal Shakti organized a one-day national workshop on ‘Integrated Management of Sediments in River Basins and Reservoirs for Sustainable Development” at India International Centre in New Delhi today. The event was inaugurated by Shri Pankaj Kumar, Secretary, Dept. of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR) in the presence of Shri Kushvinder Vohra, Chairman, CWC and Ms. Debashree Mukherjee Special Secretary, Dept. of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. More than 200 delegates from different Central Ministries, States/UTs, Academic Institutes and Implementing Agencies of Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) participated in the workshop. It was largely agreed that short and long term action plans need to be prepared along with measures to control silt deposition in Reservoir which may be implemented in phases.
17-Jun-2023: National Working Plan Code-2023 released for scientific management of forests and evolving new approaches
The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate change has released the “National Working Plan Code-2023” for scientific management of forests and evolving new approaches. The National Working Plan Code-2023 was released by Shri. Chandra Prakash Goyal, IFS, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate change during the occasion of the ‘World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought’ organized by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in Dehradun on 17th June 2023.
India is one of the few countries in the world that has a scientific system of forest management. The working plan is the main instrument through which the scientific management of Forests is being achieved in India. National Working Plan Code which was first adopted in 2004 with a subsequent amendment in 2014 brought uniformity and acted as the guiding principle for the preparation of the working plan for scientific management of different forest divisions of our country.
23-Mar-2023: 92 Eco-Sensitive Zones, 2 Ecologically Sensitive Areas notified in 13 States of Indian Himalayan Region
In order to manage and conserve biodiversity across the Protected Areas, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notifies Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around the Protected Areas. As part of wildlife conservation strategy, in the year 2002, it was decided that an area around each Protected Areas, requires to be notified as Eco-Sensitive Zone for creating a buffer as further protection around Protected Areas (PAs). The very purpose of declaring ESZ is to create some kind of “Shock Absorber” for the specialized Ecosystem, such as protected areas or other natural sites, to act as transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection. Besides, in order to protect the biodiversity in areas having ecological significance, Ministry also notifies Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA), which has unique biological resources, which require special attention for their conservation.
Survey and identification of ESZs are conducted by the respective State Governments for consideration of the Central Government for declaration of the ESZs in respective States around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries as per the guidelines formulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). On the basis of proposals and recommendations of the State Government, Ministry notifies the ESZs under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Section ‘3’ of the ESZ Notification provides the Guidelines for preparation of the Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) by the respective State Government and mandates preparation of the Tourism Master Plan forming part of Zonal Master Plan on the basis of the Carrying Capacity study of the concerned ESZ. In so far as the 13 States of Indian Himalayan Region are concerned, 2 ESAs and 92 ESZs have been already notified.