HP State Biodiversity Board has achieved the target of constitution of 100 percent Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) across the State. State Biodiversity Board in collaboration with the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department and Urban Development Department has constituted Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in all 3370 local bodies.
This was informed during a meeting of the Board held, here today, under the chairmanship of Member Secretary, HP State Biodiversity Board, D.C. Rana to review the progress of the constitution of BMC and preparation of Peoples Biodiversity Registers (PBR).
D.C. Rana said that as per the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, it is mandatory that every local body constitute BMC and subsequently start preparation of PBRs. He said that Board would facilitate BMCs in preparation of the PBR. The PBR is comprehensive legal document that contains information about the biological resources and the associated traditional knowledge of the area. He said that according to NGT orders, BMCs failing to prepare PBRs and failing to transfer PBRs funds to the Technical Support Groups (TSGs) or are resisting and posing any hindrance for PBR preparation, would be penalized with rupees ten lakhs per month.
During the meeting it was decided that all the participating institutions involved in the preparation of the PBRs would complete the task within a period of six months in the respective BMC so that the orders of National Green Tribunal could be complied. It was also decided that Technical Support Groups would help the State Biodiversity Board in the preparation of the PBRs at the BMC level. It was also decided that the Chairpersons of Zila Parishads and Block Samitis and Panchayat Pradhans would extend all support to these institutions in completing the task of PBR preparation in their respective BMCs.
