Javadekar releases LiDAR survey of forest areas for 10 states

Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar on Friday released the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of LiDAR-based survey of forest areas in ten states through video conferencing.

LiDAR technology will help augment water and fodder in jungles areas thereby reducing human-animal conflict, help in groundwater recharge, and help local communities.

The ten states include Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.

According to a press statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Javadekar informed that the project which was awarded to WAPCOS, a PSU under the aegis of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India is a first of its kind and a unique experiment using LiDAR technology which will help augment water and fodder in jungles areas thereby reducing human-animal conflict, help in groundwater recharge, and help local communities.

He also asked state forest departments to use CAMPA funds towards the implementation of these projects in right earnest and in accordance with the 'Ridge to Valley' approach of watershed management.

WAPCOS has prepared these DPR's using LiDAR technology in which the 3-D(three dimensional) DEM (Digital Elevation Model), imagery and layers of the project areas are used for recommending different types of Soil & Water conservation structures such as Anicut, Gabion, Gully Plug, Mini percolation tank, Percolation Tank, Field bund, Sunken pond, Farm pond etc. These structures will help in catching the rain water and prevent stream run off, which will help in recharging of Groundwater.

WAPCOS with the participation of State Forest Departments identified one major ridge inside a forest block in these states with an average area of 10,000 ha selected in each State for preparation of Detailed Project Reports for planning and identifying locations and structures for construction of appropriate and feasible micro soil and water conservation structures consistent with site-specific geography, topography and soil characteristics.

States/UTs identified one major ridge inside a forest block with the criteria that area selected should have an average rainfall of the state, and the area requires assisted natural generation which means the density of forests should be less than 0.4 or below but should have reasonable potential to regenerate with the ANR interventions.

The project was awarded to WAPCOS in July 2020 at a cost of Rs 18.38 Crore/- for implementation in 26 states over 261897 hectare. The DPR's for the remaining 16 states will also be released shortly.

( With inputs from ANI )

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