AP government to declare Zaheerabad as an Agro Biodiversity Heritage site.
Picture for representational purpose only.
Hyderabad: The state government has been sitting on a proposal to notify three mandals near Zaheerabad as an Agro Biodiversity Heritage site, even though the national and state biodiversity authorities have cleared the proposals.
The agriculture department failed to notify the land as a heritage site. Once this is done, the land use pattern of the area cannot be changed and it will be managed by a biodiversity management committee. Chairman of the National Biodiversity Authority P. Balakrishna said, “All the formalities regarding declaring Zaheerabad areas as a biological heritage site have been completed. The state government has to issue a notification. The declaration of BHS is a significant recognition as the land use can’t be changed.”
On May 22, 2010, a cluster of local communities from 50 villages of three mandals in Medak district resolved to conserve and bring recognition to the biological diversity in their region. They submitted the village resolution asking to be declared an Agro Biodiversity Heritage site. The areas are rich in agro-biodiversity genetic resources and are associated with traditional ecological knowledge. A unique local public distribution system through which jowar is sold with the help of NGOs, is in operation.
( Source : dc )
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