Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister stressed using the technology to preserve the forest resources while attending van Mahotsav.
Assam chief minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, while attending the 72nd van Mahotsav week on Wednesday, asserted that the State environment & forest department must work to preserve the forest resources like sand, stones, etc. The hardliner BJP leader also revealed that the forest beats & gates would be abolished soon to check corruption and illegal supply of forest resources.
Planting a rudraksha sapling at AIIMS construction site in Changsari locality near Guwahati Metro, Sarma stressed the need to increase technology use like satellite imaging by the State environment & forest department, which organized the van Mahotsav for monitoring and quantifying its performance.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has taught the importance of oxygen and therefore we must strive towards preserving the State’s forest covers,” said CM Sarma adding that the government is using drone surveys for verifying the authenticity of all tree plantation programs carried out by the department under various biodiversity projects.
He also informed that massive reforms would be initiated in the forest department soon so that incidents like 18 elephants’ death in Bamunipahar of Nagaon, where rampant deforestation took place, do not occur again. Accountability will be fixed and strict actions to be taken against the department officials if necessary, stated Sarma, adding that he was thinking of one-month compulsory paid leave for the forest guards.
In the presence of State forest minister Parimal Shuklabaidya, health minister Keshab Mahanta, industry minister CM Patowary, Parliamentarian Queen Ojah, State BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, legislators Diganta Kalita, Suman Haripriya, Hemanga Thakuria, Nandita Das, top forests official Alka Bhargava with others, Sarma insisted that rules for enabling people to grow and sell agar, red sandal tree, etc in private lands become a necessity.
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