State awaits Centre’s nod to grow Stylo grass

State awaits Centre’s nod to grow Stylo grass
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Official approval by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is required for grow Stylo grass in the areas of degraded forests. The State government as part of strategy to provide fodder to sheep, which are to be distributed under its flagship programme to 4 lakh Yadavas and Kuruma families, has proposed to promote cultivation of Stylo grass.

Cultivation of Stylo grass is needed to promote sheep distribution programme in a big way

Hyderabad: Official approval by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is required for grow Stylo grass in the areas of degraded forests. The State government as part of strategy to provide fodder to sheep, which are to be distributed under its flagship programme to 4 lakh Yadavas and Kuruma families, has proposed to promote cultivation of Stylo grass.

The State government had directed the Forest Department officials to allow sheep to graze in forest areas as only goats were banned from grazing. But State Forest officials claimed that they had not so far received any direction from the State government in this regard.

The officials said unless they got instructions from the Union Ministry of Forests, they cannot permit sheep to graze in forest land. Even permission to grow Stylo grass would depend on the decision of the Union Ministry. “No non-forest activity can be allowed on forest land even if it is degraded,” a senior Forest official told The Hans India.

“In case of Reserve Forests, sanctuaries and where the wildlife movement have been identified the department cannot allow any activity as per the federal acts like the Wildlife Act, Forest Rights Act and others,” the official pointed out.

Clarifying further, he said if the tree cover density is more than 40 per cent in a forest area, then it would become a protected area and no interference with eco-system would be permitted. Efforts would be made to rejuvenate the degraded forest areas where the tree cover density is between 10 to 40 per cent.

And, if the trees’ canopy is below 10 percent then it is rated as the open forest area. Even in such areas only those who have forest rights can be allowed for any forest related activity, the source said. According to sources, the state government has not yet sent any such aproposal.

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