Start breeding crocodiles in rivers, says Punjab CM
Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Jun, 2021 11:35 AM
Chandigarh, June 28 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday favoured the need to start breeding crocodiles in the state's rivers, especially the Beas and the Sutlej, as they were found in abundance six decades ago.
He, however, appreciated the efforts of the Forests and Wildlife Preservation Department for re-introduction of gharials, an important component of the riverine ecosystem. He also lauded the efforts for conservation of Indus dolphins that were declared as the state aquatic animal in 2019.
Reviewing the functioning of the Forests and Wildlife Preservation Department virtually, the Chief Minister asked the department to revive the original flora and fauna keeping in view the state's natural climate and habitat.
He said as an avid nature lover he has always evinced keen interest in forestry and wildlife. He emphasized the need to undertake massive plantation of traditional trees including 'ber', 'kikar', 'saal', 'shisham' and 'katha amb', an indigenous variety of mango commonly prevalent in the Kandi region and southern Punjab, which has now dwindled.
Amarinder Singh complimented the department for undertaking the plantation of 'chandan' and high-yielding bamboo, which gives double the yield of traditional bamboo.
The Chief Minister asked the department to fully explore the potential of eco-tourism. He said concerted efforts should be made to develop Siswan and Harike as preferred eco-tourism destinations in northern India.
Taking a serious view of the growing population of wild boars and blue bulls in the Kandi area and cotton belt of southern Punjab, the Chief Minister asked the department to immediately take effective measures to save human lives, which are often lost due to attacks by these wild animals besides damage to crops.
Additional Chief Secretary Anirudh Tiwari said the department has fixed a target to achieve 7.5 per cent area under forest and tree cover by 2023 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said the government of India has identified 100 wetlands to be developed on priority and five wetlands are in Punjab. They are Harike, Ropar, Kanjli, Keshopur and Nangal.
He said Moga district has been selected as part of the one billion plantation project of the country in five years and 90 lakh plants would be planted in five years in the district.
Even as the D-Day approaches, the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case through their lawyers are clutching at all possibilities to apparently delay or stay the execution.
A 20-year-old man, resident of Indiranagar, was shifted to the isolation ward of the King George’s Medical University (KGMU), on Saturday morning after the lab test confirmed the virus.
A woman has been booked for allegedly selling her seven-day-old daughter for Rs 10,000 to a neighbour at Kathghar area of Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh.
It was a usual morning for medicine students on the campus of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran on February 22. Little did they realise that novel coronavirus was manifesting its worst phase in the country.
The petition stated that the Tihar jail authorities were preparing the execution of the four death row convicts in a "hurried manner, such a hasty and secretive execution will be plainly illegal as above mentioned three convicts are yet to avail their legal remedy."
Two deaths have been confirmed in India after a 69-year-old woman died at RML hospital here died on Friday. Earlier, a man from Karnatak died on Thursday.
