Forest celebrates working plan rejig after 60 years

GANGTOK, 18 Aug: The Forest Department has hailed the approval of the Working Plans for West and East districts by the Ministry of Environment and Forests as one of its biggest milestones. The Working Plan for South Sikkim has already been approved and the one for North Sikkim is under process.
The ‘milestone’ epithet is earned by the fact that the State was still working with a Working Plan framed for the entire State back in 1951-52 [extended up to 2000]. This document had lost its relevance due to the changed scenario of the present times and the process was long overdue, the Department explains. It has been after several decades that Working Plan Circle has been able to prepare scientific, technical and democratic working plans for these divisions, an official press release details.
The Additional PCCF, Manjeet Singh, CCF-cum-Nodal Officer of Forest Conservation Act, SBS Bahaduria and Conservator of Forest [WP], Pradeep Kumar, made the announcement at a press conference today.
This Working Plans will be valid for 10 years with a provision for review in 5 years.
The document has been prepared “after incorporating all aspects of scientific management; technical in the sense that they have been prepared using latest technologies like Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System [GIS]; democratic in the sense that they have incorporated the views of the all stakeholders mostly the Panchayats and villagers who depend on them”.
These aspects make the working plans of Sikkim unique and different from working plans of the rest of India, the Forest officials claimed.
It was informed that with the approval of these working plans the Department will not only be able to secure full funding under programmes like 13th Finance Commission but also be able to undertake many activities like thinning congested forests and removing unwanted species, which otherwise would not have possible due to Supreme Court directives in this regard.
“These working plans have actually opened the gates of opportunities for scientific management of forests and for making use of Sikkim forests for economic upliftment of Sikkimese society which is so closely linked to forests,” an official communiqué adds.
For preparing Working Plans and Forest Inventory Preparation, sample plots were laid in forests in East, West, South and North Sikkim and activities like training of ACFs and Participatory Rural Appraisal was done to incorporate the views of the public in the working plans.
For making working plan exercise democratic the ACFs conducted participatory rural exercise in different Panchayats and similarly meetings were held in different district headquarters to incorporate views of Land Revenues and other line departments.
It was with these working plans that the reserve forests were divided into compartments for the first time for easy and scientific management of forests.
GIS based maps were prepared for Division, Range and Block, Beat and Compartment levels. And this prepared the background for the paradigm shift in the administration and now all the postings of the forest guards are based on this pattern.
It was informed that Sikkim was proud to have its first division based working plans for East and West Sikkim and working plan for South Sikkim is already in place and the working plan for North Sikkim is under process.
It was explained that the whole working plan was made a dynamic instrument by including the concept of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management and indicators would be monitored continuously to assess the direction of forest management in Sikkim.
For the purpose a Sustainable Forest Management Cell has also been opened in the Department which is aiming to develop practical methods, guidelines and strategies to apply ecosystem approach in the management of natural forest areas.
It will also facilitate common understanding of terms and definition related to Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management and the Cell will periodically calculate the Forest Management Sustainability Index for Sikkim.
It was informed that this will give guidelines to direction of management of forests and at the same time it would work as the databank for forestry activities in Sikkim.
The Department has also expressed its gratitude to the Chief Minister, Forest Minister and PCCF-cum-Secretary for their interest and participation in preparation of these working plans.
It was mentioned that the CM’s green credentials have won him accolades both nationally and internationally and has given thrust to the forest, environment and wildlife management in the state which has been consistently ranking high on Environment Sustainability Index.
It was mentioned that the CM had directed the PCCF-cum-Secretary to prepare these plans in a time bound manner and on a fast track and even announced this in some of his public speeches.
His continuous motivation was further pushed by the Forest Minister, Bhim Dhungel, and with the dynamic leadership of PCCF-cum-Secretary who put the agenda of working plans among his top priorities.
The field management team which executed the job was a very cohesive and consistent team and consisted of experienced working plan officers namely, Karma Z Bhutia, and D Manjunatha.