Government of Andhra Pradesh

(Forest Department)

 

Rc.No.33820/2004/G.1

Date: 26 .01.2005

O/o Prl. Chief Conservator of Forests - Andhra Pradesh – Hyderabad -1

 

SRI S.K. DAS, IFS.,

PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS

 

CIRCULAR NO. 1-A/2004/G.1

 

Sub: Andhra Pradesh Forest Department - SMC works in forest area -

Saturation level water shed treatment - SUJALAM-SUPHALAM -

Workshop held on 17-18th December 2004 in the office of the

Prl. Chief Conservator of Forests - Certain clarifications and guidelines issued - Regarding.

 

Ref: 1. Circular No.5 & 5-A/2002/PMU.I/3 communicated in Prl.CCF's

ref.no.17309/2000/PMU.I/3, dated 23.8.2002

2. Circular No.6/2003/PMU.III/2 communicated in Prl.CCF's

ref.no. 4483/02/PMU.III/2, dated 15. 07.2003

3. Circular No.2/J.4/2004 communicated in Rc.No.16284/2003/J4,

dated 08.03.2004

4. Circular No.1/2004/G.1 communicated in Prl.CCF's

ref.no.33820/04/G.1, dated 11.10.2004

5. Prl.CCF ref.no.19427/2004/G.1, dated 22.12.2004

***

The Forest Department aims at alleviation of Rural Poverty through sustainable management of forests with the involvement of the local community.

 

2. One of the strategies to achieve this lofty goal is to treat the forest areas on watershed basis to saturation level. Accordingly several instructions have been issued in the references cited.

 

3. In the workshop held on 17-18th December, 2004 the field level functionaries posed a few problems which are coming in the way of treating the forest areas / watershed to saturation level. The problems are as follows:-

(a) The manual rate of excavation as per the PWD SSR is not workable.

(b) The existing instruction is to carry out the work manually and there

is a ban on use of machines.

(c) In APCFM Project area there is a ceiling on expenditure for carrying out

SMC works and this is coming in the way of carrying out saturation level

watershed treatment even where the wage rate is low.

 

(d) The existing instruction from the Head Office not to spend fund from

different projects in the same VSS area i.e. if in a VSS area SMC work is

being carried out under APCFM project, no fund from any other project

like RIDF (SMC) can be spent.

4. After detailed discussion, it has been decided that Government will be approached for allowing the Department to use machines for carrying out SMC works in the areas where it is feasible to utilize the machines. In this regard, Government order is likely to be received within a few days.

 

5. Regarding inadequacy of manual rate in PWD SSR, the Rural Development Department is seized of the issue. They retained the consultancy of Engineering Staff College of India to collect the data and it is understood that the data has been collected, processed and approval of the appropriate rate is under consideration by the Government. The order in this regard is likely to be issued within a short time.

 

6. Regarding the ceiling on expenditure under APCFM Project it has been clarified in the workshop that wherever it is essential to exceed the limit to achieve saturation level watershed treatment, the field level functionaries are permitted to do so under APCFM Project. However, while treating the watershed in VSS area under APCFM Project, if certain portion of the watershed is outside the VSS area, such area should be treated under RIDF.

In this regard it may however be noted that the quantity and type of SMC works / structures per unit area in different locations is neither equal nor of the same type as it depends on the topography, rainfall, soil etc., and the officers will see to it that cost effective structures with appropriate technology are only used to achieve the saturation level watershed treatment in order to observe economy.

 

7. It has further been clarified that in the VSS area other than under APCFM project, RIDF (SMC) fund can also be utilized if the amount provided under the Project is not adequate to achieve saturation level treatment.

However, the area being treated under different schemes may be demarcated clearly on the ground by creating a fire line/sector line etc.

 

Thus the VSS areas either under APCFM project or under FDA will not have any fund constraint to treat on watershed basis upto saturation level. However, only one Measurement Book has to be maintained for a particular VSS area for all SMC works irrespective of source of fund.

 

8. Since the instructions/clarifications issued in the reference 5th cited do not conform to the above outcomes of the workshop, the reference is withdrawn.

 

9. The Conservators of Forests/Divisional Forest Officers are requested to -

(1) divide the forest / VSS areas into watersheds and treat them to

saturation level,

(2) carry out certain works manually, and certain other works by machines

in the easily accessible discharge area.

(3) Once the Government approves the revised manual rate and machine is

permitted to carry out the SMC works, all efforts should be made by them to achieve substantial progress within a short time.

(4) All the officers are requested to keep the Plan of Action ready for

immediate implementation once the order of the Government is received.

(5) note that if any area is treated upto saturation level, a perennial tank

will be created in the discharge area necessarily. This is the test of saturation level treatment.

(6) In addition to a perennial tank in the forest/watershed area it may be a good idea to provide a tank to a village where there is water scarcity under Village Development Programme (CFM) / Entry Point Activity (FDA). This may however be decided after thorough discussion with the villagers.

(7) Water is the starting point for development and the officers are requested

not to over-look this point for the villages located near the forest area.

Sd/- (S.K. DAS)

PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS

To

All the Conservators of Forests

All the Divisional Forest officers

Copy to All the Additional Principal Chief Conservators of Forests/Chief Conservators of Forests for information and necessary action.

Copy to File No.50270//2004/PMU.I/2

Copy to Circular Stock file.

//t.c.b.o//

 

Technical Officer