Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
The 3rd meeting of the Punjab State Wetlands Authority, chaired by the Forest Minister, was held today to review wetland conservation initiatives in the state.
In WP (c) No. 304/2018 – Anand Arya Vs Union of India, Hon’ble Supreme Court of India directed the each of the State/UT Wetland Authority to complete ground truthing as well as the demarcation of wetland boundaries of each of the Wetland which have been identified.
Following ground-truthing, digital mapping and evaluation of identified 1143 water bodies by District Wetland Committees of Punjab, 72 water bodies across 14 districts have been recommended for notification under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. These include sites in Amritsar (2), Barnala (8), Faridkot (2), Fatehgarh Sahib (12), Fazilka (8), Ferozepur (3), Jalandhar (2), Kapurthala (4), Mansa (10), Moga (6), Patiala (3), Sangrur (5), Sri Muktsar Sahib (7).
The Authority also approved the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for Beas River CR, with a five-year budget requirement of Rs. 38.45 crores for various works. The approved plan will be sent to the Ministry of Environment & Forests for funding under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA).
The meeting concluded with a review of the impact of recent floods on Punjab’s major wetlands with Honorable minister sharing the importance of building resilience in wetland ecosystems.