Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 1 : The Uttarakhand CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) Governing Body, under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, held a meeting in the state Secretariat on Tuesday, reviewing the progress of the schemes under the CAMPA fund.
According to a release, the Chief Minister directed the officials to use the CAMPA fund for sustainable management of forests in the state, forestry development, maintaining environmental balance and welfare of forest-dependent communities.
"To increase the green cover in Dehradun city, action should also be taken to obtain permission from the Central Government level to use the CAMPA fund," Dhami said.
He further called for an effective plan to conserve and revive water sources in the state's hilly areas.
"Conservation and revival of water sources in forest areas should be given top priority. For this, the Department of Drinking Water, Water Resources, Rural Development and Agriculture should jointly prepare an action plan along with the Forest Department," he said.
He directed to prepare a comprehensive strategy for forest fire prevention through modern technology and community participation. The Chief Minister said that tree plantation should not be limited to just planting saplings but special attention should also be paid to the survival rate of the plants.
Talking about self-employment and livelihood programs, the state's forest minister Subodh Uniyal called for those programs to be connected to the local people along with forest conservation, "so that their participation in the sustainable use and conservation of forest wealth can be increased."
The Chief Minister also directed regular review meetings to ensure the quality, timeliness and effectiveness of the projects run from CAMPA funds.
Dhami directed the officials to plant trees on a large scale in the state on Harela festival and also ordered that fruitful plants should be planted on the birth centenary of Gaura Devi.