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Himachal CM inaugurates first-ever ‘zero waste’ tribal festival in Keylong
Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also laid the foundation stone for five bridges in Udaipur sub-division under PMGSY Phase-3, to be built at a cost of ₹36,41,78,000
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu virtually inaugurated the tribal festival at Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district from Shimla on Thursday.
The festival, which will conclude on August 16, is being organised for the first time in the state on the theme of “zero waste”.
Sukhu said the event would promote environmental conservation and showcase the unique art and culture of the district. It would provide tourists an opportunity to know the region better. He said that the festival symbolises the commitment to preserving its heritage and would inspire people to celebrate responsibly.
Sukhu said that climate change has posed serious challenges to the country and the state and Lahaul-Spiti was no exception, with unusually heavy rainfall in the district being a major cause of concern. The state government was taking all possible measures to provide relief during disasters and was working with the Centre to ensure environmental protection.
The chief minister said that Lahaul-Spiti had emerged as a model district in women empowerment and the traditional products of the area would be promoted under the “Him-Ira” brand.
Sukhu also laid the foundation stone for five bridges in Udaipur sub-division under PMGSY Phase-3, to be built at a cost of ₹36,41,78,000. These include a 35 metre steel truss bridge over Chaikhang Nallah costing ₹9.93 crore, a 49-metre double-lane steel truss bridge over the Chenab River costing ₹9.46 crore, a 22-metre RCC T-beam bridge over Kishori Nallah costing ₹17.68 crore, a 76-metre RCC beam bridge over Teling Nallah costing ₹13.35 crore and a 22-metre RCC beam bridge over Moring Nallah costing ₹1.89 crore.
Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna launched
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the 76th State-Level Van-Mahotsav at the Kanlog area in Shimla on Thursday. He also planted a deodar sapling during the event.
Sukhu launched the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna across all assembly constituencies and virtually interacted with Ministers and MLAs participating in the programme and discussed forest conservation and afforestation measures in detail. He said that the state government was working to protect and enrich the rich biodiversity of the state. These efforts would contribute to achieving the target of increasing 30% forest cover by 2030.
He said that the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna would not only promote forest development but also enhance public participation and strengthen the rural economy. Under this scheme, mahila mandals, yuvak mandals, self-help groups and joint forest committees would plant and look after saplings on one to five hectares of designated forest land for five years. A budget provision of ₹100 crore has been made for this purpose.
“This year, saplings were being planted across 1,000 to 1,500 hectares of forest land at a cost of ₹20 crore. An additional ₹1.2 lakh per hectare was being provided for sapling maintenance,” said Sukhu.
