M'rashtra proposes 5 saw mill zones

Maharashtra government has proposed setting up five 'ara' (saw mill) zones in the state to process imported wood and curb illegal use of forest wood in construction work.

The zones would be set up at Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Kolhapur and Nagpur, Forest minister Babanrao Pachpute said here.

Stating that there are over 80 lakh 'chullahs' (stoves) running on forest wood in the state, the minister said providing alternate cooking methods like LPG gas to these users would help curb depletion of resources on the 20.76 lakh hectare forest land in the state.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will address a meeting of forest officials at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park here on June 14, he said. The minister also announced the annual 'Sant Tukaram Vangram Yojana awards' for villages promoting conservation of forests.

The first prize of Rs 10 lakh has been shared by villages Saigata in Chandrapur district and Hiwrebazar in Ahmednagar district.

The second prize of Rs 5 lakh has been bagged by Mirjewadi in Pune district. The third prize of Rs 3 lakh, has gone to Vadgaon village in Sangli district. The prizes would be presented here on June 5.