Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that all development work in wildlife sensitive areas will be done with scientific standards and environmental balance. Special emphasis was laid on ban on tree cutting, eco-friendly techniques and wetland conservation.
Lucknow. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that all development and construction work proposed in wildlife sensitive areas will be done with full adherence to scientific standards, minimum environmental impact and legal procedures. He clarified that in every process of development, the protection of wildlife, their natural movement and habitat continuity should be given top priority.
Important instructions given in the 20th meeting of the State Wildlife Council
On Monday, the Chief Minister presided over the 20th meeting of the State Wildlife Council. In the meeting, he directed that all development proposals related to wildlife areas should be prepared with sensitivity, scientific approach and foresight.
The Chief Minister said that whenever a proposal is sent, the concerned departments will have to mandatorily submit a detailed and scientific analysis of environmental risks, potential impact on bio-diversity, movement of wildlife, alternative routes and modern technological solutions. This will ensure a balanced and sustainable policy between development and environmental protection.
12 development projects in wildlife areas got consent
Decisions on development projects related to various wildlife areas were taken in the meeting. A total of 12 new proposals were presented to the Council, including:
- road widening
- Establishment of petrol pump and fuel station
- tube well pressure system
- underground pipeline
- mobile tower
- optical fiber cable
- construction of link roads
All these proposals relate to wildlife sensitive areas and eco-sensitive zones of many districts including Etawah, Gonda, Pilibhit, Bareilly, Banda. Consent was given on these projects in the meeting.
Strict stance on tree cutting, ban on unnecessary cutting
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while taking the opinion of experts on the proposals related to tree cutting, gave clear instructions that unnecessary tree cutting will not be allowed in any project. He said that cutting of trees should be done only in unavoidable circumstances and there should not be any damage to the environment in the name of development. Wherever options are available, instructions were given to give priority to trenchless technology, elevated structures and eco-friendly technologies.
Both development and wildlife conservation are priority of the government.
The Chief Minister reiterated that both the pace of development projects and wildlife conservation are priorities of the Uttar Pradesh government. The government is moving forward with both these objectives under a balanced, scientific and far-sighted policy.
Special emphasis on wetland conservation, instructions to remove silt
The Chief Minister said that information about accumulation of silt in some wetlands has come to his notice. He instructed the officials that this should be resolved immediately. This work can be done under the ‘Developed India-Ji Ram Ji’ campaign. The Chief Minister said that wetlands are natural heritage and they should be protected under all circumstances.