Chennai:
The
state government is planning to have biodiversity management committees at the
panchayat level and is set to notify its biodiversity rules after getting the
clearance from the law department soon, according to Forests Minister K T
Pachamal.
Chairing
the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board at the secretariat here on Monday, the
minister said the draft Tamil Nadu Biodiversity rules is before the law department
for its approval and once it is cleared it will be notified soon.
Interestingly,
this is the second biodiversity board meeting convened after four years. The
earlier one was convened on October 2008. The minister urged the Environment
and Forests Department secretary to convene meeting every three months and that
too in different locations to take stock of biodiversity issues across the
state. The next meeting will be held in Tirunelveli on January 2013.
Meanwhile,
the draft which stressed the formation of biodiversity management committee
(BMC) at block level was opposed by board members Dr V Arivudai Nambi,
principal scientist, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation and Dr D Narasimhan,
associate professor, Centre for Floristic Research, department of Botany,
Madras Christian College, stating it should be localized further to make it
more inclusionary. As a result, the minister agreed to make changes stating
that BMC would be formed at panchayat level instead of block level.
Interestingly,
BMC is key to preparing a people’s biodiversity register which is necessary in
eco-restoration of local biodiversity besides regulation of access to the
biological resources and associated traditional knowledge for commercial and
research purpose.
During
the meeting it was also decided to initially focus on five places in each
district, which are rich in biodiversity before expanding it across the state.
These include the coastal as well as forest areas also.
The
meeting also discussed the allotment of one hectare of land for National
Biodiversity Authority and 1.5 hectare of land for Tamil Nadu Biodiversity
Board in Chemmenchery village in Sholinganallur taluk for construction of
offices.
Factfile:
--- A sub-committee has finalised the formation of 10 biodiversity management committee in areas rich in biodiversity.
--- Four BMC in Ramnad is formed and Rs 32.25 lakh funds from National Biodiversity Authority in Chennai is sought
--- A corpus fund of rs 5 lakh has been deposited in Tamil nadu Biodiversity Board account sanctioned by National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden is operating the account
--- Government has been urged to change the account in the name of member secretary, Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board as per the Act.
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