At the outset, the Divisional Forest Officer Udhampur briefed the Chairperson about the formation of the Committee and its functioning.
The DFO informed that the BioDiversity Management Committee (BMC) is to be constituted in accordance with the provisions of Section 41 (1) of Biological Diversity Act 2002 and Biological Diversity Rules 2004.
Each BMC so constituted shall consist of Chairperson and not more than six persons nominated by the local body, of whom not less than 18% should belong to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes nominated by the District Development Council (DDCs). The Chairperson of BMC at District level shall be elected from amongst the nominated members of the committee. The BioDiversity Management Committee shall have tenure of 03 years. BMC shall hold a minimum of 4 meetings in a year and meet once at least every 03 Months.
The DFO also elaborated the role of BioDiversity Management Committee and said it will work for promotion, conservation, maintaining sustainable use of natural resources and documentation of all forms of Bio Diversity including habitats, water bodies, land races, folk varieties, cultivars as well as domesticated livestock, breed animals, innovative application of microorganism traditions of sacred grooves, worshiping, preservation of old religious/ cultural practices by the ethnic communities including preservation of heritage sites and regulation of access to the biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, for commercial and research purposes.
The DFO Udhampur further stated that the BioDiversity Management Committee can play a major role in the conservation of BioDiversity and in increasing flora and fauna of District Udhampur.
The meeting was attended by Councillors and officers/ officials of the Forest department.
