The wildlife wing of the state Forest Department is all set to undertake an annual estimation count of migratory birds in the Pong wetland on the foothill of Kangra district. The bird counting exercise will be undertaken on January 31.
Locals in Kinnaur are protesting approvals given to new projects, which they fear will destroy the chilgoza pine, an important cash crop in the region.
India’s growing energy requirements have made Kinnaur a major hub of hydro projects in Himachal Pradesh, particularly over the past two to three decades. As a result, there has been a large-scale diversion of forest land and cutting of trees, including chilgoza pine trees, for the construction of dams. Chilgoza pine (Pinus gerardiana), called champions […]