BENGALURU: Environment and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Friday stressed the need for maintaining a healthy ecological balance. He said while it is important to conserve forests and ensure there is no encroachment, the poor, who have constructed homes there, cannot be demolished.
A healthy ecological balance has to be maintained, he added. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the announcement of the government taking up a drive to plant five crore saplings across the state.
Khandre said he is open to ideas from experts and environment activists on forest conservation, to improve forest cover and to reduce man-animal conflicts.
He said stern action will be taken against officials if there were complaints against them. Steps will be taken to prevent unwanted civil works and constructions inside the forests. On his recent meeting with Union Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, Khandre said the state government is preparing strategies to reduce man-animal conflicts and strengthen the buffer zones.
On the survival rate of saplings planted over the years, he said that his department will receive an audit report in this regard within 15 days. The survival rate is 60%. He is open for a third party audit, the minister added. Referring to the Anna Bhagya scheme, Khandre said it will be successfully implemented. On BJP’s protest, he said since they have nothing to do now, they are protesting.