GULBARGA: The State Government has initiated measures to prepare an action plan for the protection of wildlife, the environment and forests and entrusted the responsibility of studying the current status of these aspects to the Task Force on Western Ghats.
Chairman of the task force Anant Hegde Ashisara, who held a meeting with district-level officials of the Forest Department, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, the Gulbarga City Corporation and other departments here on Friday, told presspersons that committees would be formed in all districts to study the present status of the environment, forests and wildlife and submit a report to the Government within six months on how to protect and develop forest cover, protect wildlife and overcome environmental hazards.
Mr. Ashisara said the committee in Gulbarga would be headed by the Deputy Commissioner.
The task force has been given the responsibility of identifying existing as well as reserve forest lands, study their present status and suggest measures to protect them and increase green cover throughout the State. It has also been asked to identify the areas with tourist potential and formulate plans for their development.
Mr. Ashisara said that “Vruksha Ropana Abhiyan” would be observed in June and July by planting at least 10 lakh saplings in all districts.
On air pollution owing to presence of big cement units in Gulbarga district, he said it was unfortunate that district officials were not able to provide the status on air pollution and the impact of emissions from these factories on crops and human health. He said a decision had been taken to constitute a high-level committee comprising environmental experts to study air pollution owing to emissions from these cement factories and stone-crushing units set up throughout the district. He said the State Government would establish “Pavitra Vana” on a 10-acre plot at Deval Gangapur in Afzalpur taluk in the district.
To a question, Mr. Ashisara said that despite a ban on the use of plastics less than 20 microns in thickness, such plastics were being used in Gulbarga, and he had directed officials of the city corporation and the town municipalities to strictly ban the use of such plastics and impose stiff fines and penal action against the violators.
In Gulbarga, the encroachment of forest lands had gone up from 1,934 hectares in 1978 to 4,618 hectares in 2006. The Forest Department had reclaimed 1,915 hectares of the land and measures had been initiated to take back the remaining encroached land, he said.
