Biodiversity parks @ Rs 2 cr each to come up across AP
The Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB) has approved the action plan for the development of Biodiversity Parks (BD parks) and Museums in all the undivided 13 districts in the State. The land is being identified in Kakinada, Kadapa, Tirupati, Nellore, Visakhapatnam, Amaravati, and Kurnool with an investment of Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore to establish each of these biodiversity parks.
Apart from biodiversity parks, digital biodiversity museums will be established in seven major cities of Andhra Pradesh simultaneously for the first time in the country. APSBB Chairman BMK Reddy said that as per the provision of the Bio-Diversity (BD) Act., 2002 and orders issued by the National Green Tribunal, the APSBB has prepared the People's Biodiversity Registers (e-PBRs) in electronic format by engaging reputed agencies/organizations and multidisciplinary teams in all districts during the year 2021-2022 which is a first in the country.
Also as per the provision of BD Act., 2002 and orders issued by the NGT, the APSBB constituted the Biodiversity Management Committees at all local bodies numbering 4,157 in the State, i.e., District level – 13 BMCs with ZP Chairperson and CEO as Chairman and Secretary of BMCs; Mandal level - 661 BMCs with MPP and MPDO as Chairman and Secretary; Grama Panchayat level – 13,363 BMCs with Sarpanch and Panchayat Secretary and Municipal and Municipal Corporation level – 120 BMCs with Chairman, Mayor, and Commissioners as Chairman and Secretary.
The task is completed with the co-operation of Panchayati Raj and Rural Administrative and Municipal Administration Departments during the year 2020-21 in a record time, he added. In order to strengthen the BMCs, a program with 15 points is initiated in all local bodies of the state released an amount of Rs 9,55,19,500 for 10,013 GP level BMCs in all 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh for implementation besides the Intensive Core Activities Action Plan (ICAAP) program initiated in selected 78 manuals covering all districts of Andhra Pradesh for operationalization of BMCs and for conservation of Biodiversity in the State.