TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh gets its first biosphere reserve with the union government declaring Seshachalam Hill range as Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve.
According to Jairam Ramesh, union minister of state for environment and forest, the decision was taken in September and major investments will be made to conserve the bio-diversity in the hills.
He told that Tirumala Hills was the best example of afforestation in the country as in a space of two to three decades, the barren hills has turned green with abundant vegetation. “The efforts of afforestation here should be an inspiration for other parts of the country and the ministry will try to replicate the effort in other places” he said. On the issue of unabated red sanders’ smuggling, in spite of his assurances during the previous visit to Tirupati, Jairam Ramesh admitted that red-sanders’ smuggling was a serious problem.
“Hyderabad had assured me to contain, if not eliminate, the menace of red sander smuggling. However, the case turned out to be different.
We are taking various measures to address this issue,” he explained. When asked about the ‘One Time Auction’, to clear piling up of stocks of red sander logs in the forest stock yards, the minister told that the proposal was still in the discussion stage. “I don’t want to hurry, as I want it to be a ‘One Time Auction’ in letter and spirit,” he said.
The most important parameter for one time auction of red sanders is calling for global tenders and the exports have to be in the form of value added products only, not in log form, Jairam Ramesh said. “We have assured the international community in UN that there will be no export of red sanders in log form. Prioritising a profit of Rs 300 crore to Rs 400 crore, the country should not break its promise and can compromise a little delay for it,” he opined.