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World Bank Provides Funds for Forest Conservation Project in North India

Posted on: Saturday, 17 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

World Bank provides funds for forest conservation project in north India

NEW DELHI, Sept.16 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank could soon bail out Himachal Pradesh's shrinking forests in north India by funding an ambitious 3.7 billion rupees (84.2 million US dollars) conservation project.

Shrinking forests are causing concern among several quarters in the hill province and have started affecting the ecologically fragile mid hills (1,800 to 5,000 ft above sea level), resulting in water scarcity and soil erosion.

"We're now only a step away from getting a 84.2 million US dollars forest project, which will be the largest such scheme for the conservation of the rich and varied mid-Himalayan forests in the hill province," Indo-Asian News Service quoted a province forest official as saying.

A team of World Bank experts will arrive here Sept. 18 for a final meeting, after which the ambitious project is expected to be cleared by next month, the official said.

"Once cleared, the project would be implemented in seven years and the money would be spent in the ecologically fragile mid-hills in 10 districts involving 400 panchayats," the official explained.

The primary focus of the project would be on "the conservation of water resources which is fast shrinking in the mid hills of the Pradesh," he said, adding that afforestation, water harvesting and building check dams would also be carried out with the help of locals and other agencies.

According to official figures, a quarter of the hill Pradesh area is under forests, which is far below the ideal limit.

Many ecologists fear the forest cover could be lower which is affecting water resources in an alarming way.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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