SHILLONG:
Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, distributed cheques for Payment of Ecosystem Services (PES) to the selected individuals and community under Garo Hills Region at District Auditorium, West Garo Hills, on November 17.
It may be mentioned that Green Meghalaya-“Grassroot level Response towards Ecosystem Enhancement and Nurturing” aims to build the capacities of communities to manage natural resources productively and effectively through training, exposure, learning from best practices, innovations and traditional knowledge.
Speaking at the occasion, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the rural community has been the custodians of natural resources for generations and informed that the Green Meghalaya scheme has earmarked Rs 50 Crores for this financial year offering financial incentives for conservation of forests and its natural resources.
Stating that the effects and consequences of climate change and global warming can be seen everywhere and that the forest cover in the region is also decreasing rapidly, he said that the government is trying to restore the green cover by launching several programmes such as afforestation, multi-purpose reservoir, springshed rejuvenation, cleaning drives, etc to restore and rehabilitate the lost biodiversity and ecosystem and contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, he said.
Mentioning that people mainly depend on forest products, the Chief Minister said that Meghalaya comprises of 76 percent forest cover out of which 94 percent is owned by communities and individuals and only 6 percent reserved and protected forest are under the direct control of the State Forest Department, adding that community participation is necessary for the success of the program. Therefore, in order to provide financial assistance and livelihood opportunities to these people for protecting and maintaining the forest, the Government has initiated a special scheme Green Meghalaya which is a payment towards the communities for conserving their forest resources and expressed hope that it would also create awareness and motivate others to value natural resources with sustainable management practices to be passed on to next generation, the Chief Minister said.
Informing that the scheme is being co-funded by the World Bank through Community-Led Landscape Management Program, he said that the forest owners with a minimum of 5 hectares of natural forest will be given financial support for a period of 5 years based on the size of their forest landholding and about 298 villages from across Garo Hills region had received funds totalling about Rs. 6 crores from the Green Meghalaya Scheme today.
Meanwhile, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Swapnil Tembe, stated that this is a good scheme and he urged everyone present to use the money judiciously and for the right purpose such as planting of trees and maintenance of their respective reserved forest in the area.
The Chief Minister then distributed the cheques to the beneficiaries during the function.
CEM, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Albinush R Marak, CEO, Tura Municipal Board, Rikse R Marak, Members of Nokma Council, District Officials, Officials of MBDA, CLLMP, DPMU were among others who attended the function.