Van Mahotsav celebrations ignore climate crisis amid rising heat waves”
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Shimla: In the wake of a devastating heat wave that has claimed lives and raised concerns about escalating temperatures, the Van Mahotsav event in Shimla focused on routine forestry initiatives while failing to address the urgent climate crisis. The absence of discussion on the critical issues of rising temperatures and forest conservation during the event, attended by key officials and politicians, is a concern.
Chief Minister’s Announcements
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the 75th State-level Van Mahotsav by planting an oak sapling at his official residence, Oak Over.
He emphasized the Forest Department’s ambitious goal to plant saplings on 9,000 hectares of land across Himachal Pradesh this year. However, there was a notable absence of dialogue on increasing green cover to combat the intensifying heat wave conditions.
Chief Minister introduced a new Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for the disposal of unattended dry and salvage trees. This procedure permits the cutting of up to two trees at the forest guard level and up to 25 trees at the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) level.
Additionally, powers were delegated to DFOs and officers of the State Forest Development Corporation to expedite tree removal for approved projects, especially linear ones.
Tech and Transparency Initiatives
The event also saw the launch of the beta testing phase of the e-forest software, aimed at digitizing and streamlining the Forest Department’s operations.
The Chief Minister highlighted the need to increase the plantation of fruit trees in forest areas from 30% to 60%, projecting significant environmental and economic benefits within the next decade.
The Forest Department’s successful processing of 15,000 salvage trees last year, which doubled the state’s revenue from timber sales, was another point of pride. Yet, these announcements overlooked the immediate need for climate adaptation strategies.
Green Energy and Structural Changes
Sukhu reiterated the state government’s goal to make Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State by March 31, 2026. This includes a 32 MW solar power plant in Una district and collaborations for green hydrogen production with Oil India Company.
Additionally, the decision to shut down the construction wing of the Forest Department was made to focus on core forestry activities. However, the lack of emphasis on addressing the current environmental challenges was conspicuous.
While the Van Mahotsav highlighted several positive initiatives, the event missed a crucial opportunity to address the urgent climate crisis and the pivotal role of forests in mitigating the effects of rising temperatures in Himachal Pradesh.
