Shimla, Aug 14 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday expressed concern over the recurring natural disasters and attributed it to climate change.
Speaking after inaugurating the 76th Van Mahotsav here and also launching the Rajiv Gandhi Samvardhan Yojana, Sukhu said that cloudbursts and flash floods are now occurring in areas like Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, which had witnessed only snowfall earlier. He said this is due to climate change.
He said cloudburst incidents have occurred in Kullu, Shimla and Kinnaur in the last 24 hours.
“We have had talks with the Centre with regard to the increasing number of such incidents. A team has been sent to study the phenomenon. We are hopeful that some solution would come out,” he said.
“We have demanded a special relief package from the Centre. The BJP leaders have also met the Central leaders. But no relief has been received so far,” Sukhu said, recalling that the state suffered over Rs 10,000 crore loss during monsoon in 2023, but the BJP leaders did not participate in the discussions back then. They are now approaching the Centre as the disaster struck the Seraj assembly constituency of former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, he said.
Addressing the gathering, Sukhu said that this year, saplings would be planted over 9,000 hectares of forest land under different schemes. Sixty per cent of these saplings would be of fruit-bearing trees.
Under the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana, Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals, self-help groups and joint forest committees would plant and look after saplings on one to five hectares of designated forest land for a period of five years. A budget provision of Rs 100 crore has been made for this, the chief minister said, adding that it would enhance public participation and strengthen rural economy.
The government has undertaken initiatives with a target to increase 30 per cent forest cover by 2030, he said, adding that saplings were being planted across 1,000-1,500 hectares of forest land at a cost of Rs 20 crore. An additional Rs 1.2 lakh per hectare was being provided for maintenance and upkeep of plants, he said.
Sukhu said the state government was also focusing on financial discipline for Vyavastha Parivartan and introducing various reforms in the working of the forest department. Officers were being encouraged to dedicate more time to fieldwork related to forest expansion and conservation.
The government is implementing schemes that aim to provide self-employment opportunities in rural areas, he said.
On the occasion, Sukhu handed out cheques of Rs 1 lakh each to different Mahila Mandals for tree plantation under the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana. He also distributed cheques of Rs 50,000 each to beneficiaries of the livelihood mission under JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) project. PTI BPL RUK RUK
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