WB lauds join forest management project

An eight-member World Bank team led by I A Khan, which has been touring the State8217;s forest areas and evaluating the World Bank-aided works from February 10, appreciated the joint forest management, particularly in Buldhana district.

The team, which visited Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Yavatmal, Wardha, Chandrapur, Amravati, Melghat, Akot, Akola, Buldhana, Nashik, Thane and other forest areas of the State, also appreciated work in the field of wildlife conservation, the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra FDCM8217;s plantation programme, progress of its seed unit at Nagpur, the village eco-development programme of the Social Forestry Department and root trainer project of the FDCM atNashik.

The team also had a word of appreciation for the work undertaken by the Wildlife Wing of Vidarbha towards conservation of Chaprala wildlife sanctuary in Gadchiroli district and Bor Wildlife Sanctuary, Wardha. Both the sanctuaries are relatively new.

The evaluation survey will be completed by February 20. A joint meeting has also been organised at Mantralaya in Mumbai with Chief Secretary P Subramaniam and senior forest officials on February 22 to evaluate the work completed thus far.

The chief conservator of forests CCF, Maharashtra Forestry Project, Jwala Prasad and Arvind Kumar Jha, CF of the project, assisted the team in their review while senior forest officials accompanied the team.

The World Bank had sanctioned Rs 431 crore for the development and conservation of State forests in 1992. The Maharashtra Forest Department was the first in the country to have received financial assistance from the World Bank for developing its various wings. The International Monetary Fund has alreadygiven about Rs 270 crore, and will give more by March 2000.