Uttarakhand to have special committee on Himalayan conservation: CM Dhami

Dehradun, Sep 9 (PTI) Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said a special committee on the conservation of the Himalayas will be formed in Uttarakhand.

To be constituted under the convenorship of Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) Director Durgesh Pant, the committee will address concerns related to Himalayan conservation, Dhami said at an event here on the occasion of Himalaya Diwas.

Climate change and global warming pose a threat to the Himalayan ecology and a collective effort is needed to conserve the Himalayas, he said.

"We need to understand the importance of the Himalayas in a new way. The government is continuously working towards the revival of water sources and rivers. The Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority has been formed in the state for the purpose. The Himalayas are our invaluable heritage, which needs to be saved," the chief minister said.

He said Uttarakhand is the first state to introduce Gross Environment Product index which assigns monetary value to natural resources like air, water, forest, and soil.

"Development work is being done in the state by maintaining a balance between ecology and economy. The government is continuously working in the field of plantation, water conservation and environmental protection, but public participation is also needed. Only then we will succeed in these efforts," he said.

Dhami said he has also urged the NITI Ayog to make a separate plan for Uttarakhand in view of its floating population.

"Uttarakhand's own population is 1.25 crore but it has to make arrangements for an additional 10 crore visitors every year. A request has been made in the meeting of NITI Aayog to make plans keeping in mind the floating population coming to the state," he said.

Dhami also released the poster of the fifth Dehradun International Science and Technology Festival to be organized by UCOST in engineering colleges across six districts of Dehradun, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Tehri, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh.

Speaking on the occasion, Padma Bhushan Anil Prakash Joshi, a noted environmentalist and founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO), praised the chief minister for taking several new initiatives for the conservation of the Himalayas.

Tehri MLA Kishore Upadhyay said the speed at which the glaciers are melting is a matter of concern. It is necessary to run a campaign on a large scale for the conservation of the Himalayas, he said. PTI ALM ALM KVK KVK