In a bid to preserve the rare species of trees which were now on the verge of extinction, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal asked the Punjab Biodiversity Board and Forests Department to jointly prepare an action plan for conservation of all the tree species of Punjab at a centralized location/ suitable sites in various agro-ecological zones of the state. Presiding over a meeting of the Punjab Biodiversity Board here at his office on Monday, the Chief Minister underscored the need to conserve such rare species of plants and herbs, which were gradually becoming a part of the erstwhile flora and fauna of the state. He said that it was all the more important to conserve these rare species for our future generations to acquaint them with our rich biodiversity heritage. The issue related to declaration of state flower was also intensely deliberated and Mr. Badal suggested for having more discussions in future at the level of executive committee of the board under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary Science, Technology and Environment.
It was further decided that the Board would initiate action for implementation of Biodiversity Access & Benefit Sharing Guidelines, 2014 notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India. In view of the importance of activities of the Board, it was decided that an Executive Committee under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Science Technology & Environment would review its activities on quarterly basis.
Principal Secretary, Science Technology & Environment Mr. G Vajralingam apprised the Chief Minister that the Board has constituted district level Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in all 22 districts. Further, 33 village level BMCs have also been set-up in biodiversity rich areas. He proposed that some of the biodiversity rich sites identified by the Board need to be declared as Biodiversity Heritage sites. These sites include Kayakalp Vriksh, the Banyan tree spread over more than 3 acre area in village Cholti Kheri, District Fatehgarh Sahib and Inami Baag inhabiting 29 native mango varieties, at village Bassi Umar Khan, District Hoshiarpur.
Chief Minister advised that for conservation of these sites, detailed action plan be prepared in consultation with District Administration. He also advised that steps be initiated with active participation of the local population for conservation of other biodiversity rich pockets identified by the Board in villages Tibba Taparian, District Ropar and Kartoli, district Hoshiarpur.Prominent amongst other present in the meeting included Chairman Punjab State Farmers’ Commission Dr GS Kalkatt, Financial Commissioner Forests & Wildlife Mr. Viswajeet Khanna, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr S Karuna Raju AND Vice Chancellor, GADVASU Dr. AS Nanda