Awareness and working with women SHGs needed for efficient functioning of Van Panchayats: Barfal
Sunday, 11 December 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The former principal chief conservator of forest and ex-chairman of the Uttarakhand State Biodiversity Board, BS Barfal said that for efficient functioning of the Van Panchayats, there is a need to create awareness and work closely with women self-help groups (SHGs). He also said that Uttarakhand is the only State in the country which has Van Panchayats. However, the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) formed throughout the country contradict the functioning of the Van Panchayat. The area and working of the BMC remain unclear. To have better coordination between the two bodies, he proposed that a new guideline be formulated. He also recommended formation of an independent cadre for management of the Van Panchayat. He was delivering the keynote address at the fifth RS Tolia Forum meet held on the occasion of International Mountain Day on Sunday.
Former Sikkim MP and IMI Gangtok president PD Rai emphasised on the importance of recognising the role of women and community-based organisations in mitigating climate change. PCCF Van Panchayat, Jyotsna Sitling also expressed her views on the occasion. Former director of the Wildlife Institute of India, Gopal Singh Rawat suggested that the BMCs could help in restoring the meadows and alpine areas.
Earlier, Sustainable Development Forum Uttaranchal (SDFU) secretary Binita Shah remembered the contributions made by the State’s former chief secretary Raghunandan Singh Tolia. In Tolia’s memory the RST forum organises lectures on various issues. This year, a workshop on the role of community based organisations and women in management of forests and climate change mitigation in Uttarakhand was organized on Sunday. The workshop focused on Van Panchayats- the largest community-based organisation functional in Uttarakhand. The mandate of the Van Panchayats is to manage forests with community participation.
The workshop saw participation from Uttarakhand’s Joshimath, Almora, Bageshwar, Tehri, Pauri and Sikkim.
