Pursuant to clearance of Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved diversion of more than 10 hectare of forest land for various Water Supply Schemes (WSS) in Doda and Udhampur districts.
The projects mostly pertained to water supply infrastructure projects related to Jal Jeevan Mission for augmentation of water supply schemes in the districts. Additionally, clearance has been given for diversion of 1.23 hectare of forest land of Social Forestry Division Baramulla for Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri road.
After a high level meeting of Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav and JK Forest Minister Javed Rana held last week, MoEFCC moved promptly and expedited Phase-III clearance of the projects on 1st February and accordingly JK Forest Department has approved diversion of requisitioned forest land subject to compensatory afforestation.
It is pertinent to mention that Javed Ahmed Rana, had recently met Union Forest Minister in New Delhi and urged him to expedite the clearance of pending cases under the Forest Conservation Act related to Jal Jeevan Mission, awaiting Phase-III clearance at the regional office, so that water infrastructure projects in forested areas can be implemented without further delay.
The Union Minister had acknowledged the concerns raised and assured full cooperation from the central government. To expedite completion of Jal Jeevan Mission that aims to provide tap water connection to every household, six projects that have been cleared included Water Supply Schemes Chigla Balota, Chakal, Tikri, Kund, Chatrari besides improvement and augmentation of WSS Lalli.
The other schemes for which approval has been granted for use of forest land included WSS Mand, Kaghote, Jadsarkote, Krimchi Deli Chak, Malhar, Katti and Demnote-Radnote in Udhampur Forest Division.
In Doda Forest Division, seven projects that gained clearance included WSSs Hanch Malna, Seel, Tantna, Aul Ugad, Mohalla, Jathali, and Jojote and three projects in Bhaderwah Forest Division including WSS Thalela, Southa and Puneja.
The projects that have been cleared in Ramnagar Forest Division included WSS Balandh, Jandrari. The Forest (Conservation) Act (FCA) 1980, a crucial law to conserve forests and biodiversity in India, requires obtaining prior clearance from the central government for any project or activity that involves clearing forest land.
The Act helps in striking a balance between development and environmental protection by ensuring sustainable use of forest resources. To prevent ecological imbalance and ensure sustainable growth, the government has initiated Compensatory Afforestation (CA) efforts against the forest diversion proposals and more than 21 hectare of degraded forest land will be covered under CA.
Forest Minister, Javed Rana, while commenting on the development said that the government is committed to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections and the forest clearance is a step in that direction.
Emphasizing the importance of these projects in addressing the water needs of the twin districts and other areas, he said “the forest clearance for these projects demonstrate our commitment towards fulfilling our objective of complete implementation of JJM in Jammu and Kashmir.
We are dedicated to fostering growth in a way that benefits every section of society.” He directed the authorities to undertake aggressive compensatory afforestation to arrest any ecological imbalance, ensuring sustainable growth and infrastructure development.
The Minister highlighted that these projects had been carefully reviewed to ensure compliance with environmental norms, reflecting the government’s balanced approach to development and conservation.
He also commended the Forest Department and other concerned authorities for their proactive efforts in expediting the clearance process without compromising on environmental conservation.
Javed Rana further stressed the need for timely implementation of these projects and assured that the Jal Shakti Department will monitor their progress closely to avoid delays.