Over Rs 5 crore sanctioned to preserve Lahaul-Spiti wildlife

Central government has sanctioned over Rs five crore for forest and wildlife conversation activities in the tribal valley of Lahaul-Spiti.
Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has sanctioned a Rs 5.12 crore plan for conversation activities in the tribal valley of Lahaul-Spiti, an official release said here today.
The plan was submitted by the wildlife wing of the state Forest Department.
The project would be implemented over a period of five years through local committees including women representative from village panchayats.
A sum of Rs 81.48 lakh has been received in the first phase by the Forest Department for the year 2014-15 to carry out various conservation activities in the valley, it said.

Spiti is the only cold desert among 18 such areas which was declared as 'Spiti Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve' (CDBR) in 2009.
Bestowed with abundant natural beauty and representing unique bio-physical features of Trans Himalayan Ecosystem, the 'Spiti CDBR' is spread over an area of 7,770 sq kms.
The CDBR is dominated by more than 500 herbaceous and scrub species and more than 118 species of medicinal value and aromatic plants.