VARANASI, July 2, 2013: In wake of the recent fury of nature in Uttarakhand, Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has sought a dedicated body for conservation of ecology and environment in and around the Himalayas.

Joshi said here that the environmental conditions in mountains are grossly different from that in plains, and hence, the conservation and disaster management policies should be framed accordingly.

Joshi also suggested formation of a Himalayan Conservation and Development Board for the purpose.

He said the situation in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand has shown us the extent to which man-made distortion of nature can cause damage.

The complete reconstruction of the affected areas will take at least 4-5 years, that too, if honest and dedicated efforts are made, Joshi said.

Terming Himalayas a national treasure, Joshi said the Planning Commission should come out with policies for its protection.

Joshi said he has advised party President Rajnath Singh to suspend the 'Jail Bharo' movement and deploy party cadres for relief work in Uttarakhand.

He also appealed to the BJP MPs and MLAs to donate their one month salary to for the relief works in the hill state.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 2, 2013.