Restoration of beauty and greenery of Sohra
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Soil and Water Conservation Minister Prof RC Laloo on Friday informed the State Assembly that the Government is implementing the Centrally-sponsored project for restoration of beauty and greenery of Sohra.
Replying to a question raised by Nongkrem legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit (UDP), Prof Laloo said implementation of Cherrapunjee Ecological Project – Restoration of Degraded Lands under Sohra Plateau a Special Plan Assistance project, has been going on since 2010. Altogether 45 villages falling within the Sohra plateau will be covered under this Rs 87.169 crore project
In the first year a total of Rs 16 crore was released and the physical achievement in the field was 90 percent and the remaining work is in progress, he said.
According to Dr Laloo for the second year the financial target was Rs 18 crore out of which Rs 4.65 crore as Additional Central Assistance was released as the first installment and Rs 13.35 crore under the Special Plan Assistance as second installment during 2010-2011 was approved by the Planning Commission on March 12, 2012.
It may be mentioned that the department have already planted around 1200 tree saplings in the five tree nurseries in Sohra area. The department would start plantation of trees for restoration of greenery of Sohra from the next fiscal year.
Besides this, the department had already created 52 ponds for rain water harvesting in 45 villages across Sohra.
The State Government is contemplating to convert this project with the State flagship programme-Integrate Basin and Livelihood Programme so that sufficient fund could be made available, he said.
The state government will have to complete Sohra greenery restoration project by 2016 and the remaining fund will be released in phases.