B. Ramanath Rai, Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, said on Monday that it was essential that all people started taking the issue of conservation of environment seriously.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Sandalwood Protection Area or Chandana Vana at Vandaru village in the reserve forest coming under the Shankaranarayana range in Udupi district.
According to a press release issued by the Department of Information here, the Chandana Vana had been developed at a cost of Rs. 1.55 crore.
This included construction of a compound wall around the Chandana Vana at a cost of Rs. 1.28 crore, a guard’s room Rs. 4 lakh, barbed wire fence Rs. 7.91 lakh, walking track Rs. 1.68 lakh, a watch tower Rs. 3 lakh and percolation pits at a cost of Rs. 9.79 lakh.
Mr. Rai said that the idea behind the “Koti Vruksha Andolana” or “Plantation of One Crore Saplings” campaign was not just planting saplings but also creation of awareness on conservation of environment.
This was essential as the issues of climate change and global warming were attaining serious dimensions.
“It is every person’s responsibility to check global warming. We want to create green schools and green villages in the State,” he said.
Mr. Rai said that the process of eviction of people from deemed forest areas were complimentary to the goal of environment conservation.
Its intention was not to trouble people, he said.
He lauded the afforestation drive taken up by the Billady Gram Panchayat in the district.
