BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government is set to form dedicated district wetland committees to strengthen wetland conservation and management in the state.
Sources in the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department said a proposal to this effect was taken up during the fifth meeting of the State Wetlands Authority chaired by minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia at Lok Seva Bhawan on Saturday.
The Authority deliberated on constitution of dedicated district wetland committees chaired by collectors, with the divisional forest officers (DFOs) concerned as member-convenors.
The minister asked the officials concerned to expedite processing of proposals related to wetlands. The State Wetlands Authority also considered OPGC’s 1,320 MW IB Thermal expansion, GRIDCO’s floating solar projects at Hirakud (approximately 3,500 MW) and Upper Indravati (225 MW, Phase-I), apart from its 10 MW intake-channel floating solar project with 2 MW/8 MWh battery storage.
Officials said the meeting also focused on wetland conservation, ecological safeguards and compliance with applicable statutory provisions. Among others, the meeting was attended by Forest secretary Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, PCCF and HoFF K Murugesan, PCCF (wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha, and officials from Chilika Development Authority (CDA), Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), Odisha Biodiversity Board and Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC).