SEAP will assess problems related to industrial pollution, urbanisation, ground water, soil degradation and salinity, Ranns and desertification, biodiversity and conservation, coastal and marine environment, wetlands, and energy conservation.

Launching the programme at a function, Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel said the World Bank and the Central Government had exclusively selected Gujarat for the project, since there has been rapid industrial development in the State with attendant ecological stress. "Besides Gujaratis have, of late, exhibited a rare sensitivity towards environmental concerns, and that Gujarat is the only State in the country to have a functional ecologycommission," Patel said.

The Chief Minister said, "Trees have, of course, to be cut to widen roads and undertake other development activity. But this can be compensated by growing more trees in areas of development."

"At the same time," he said, "it is not proper to blame industry alone for environmental degradation."

Reeling out details SEAP, Gujarat Ecology Commission chairman Hasmukh Shah said the project aimed at reviewing current environmental policies and programmes, identify future direction and thrust, and integrate environmental concerns.

Shah said the Commission would be the nodal agency for implementing SEAP, while institutions like major institutions like CEPT, Ahmedabad, Institute of Desert Ecology, Bhuj, and the Nagpur-based NEERI would conduct an inter-disciplinary study on various aspects of environment problems in Gujarat.

"The recent litigations on the Narmada and industrial pollution has tarnished the State's image, as it has become a fashion to target Gujarat on this score. Wewill have to do something to tackle this problem," he said. "The development process and environmental protection should go hand-in-hand."

State Forest Minister Kanjibhai Patel, his deputy Prabhatsinh Chauhan, chief secretary L N S Mukundan, and ACS (forest) P Basu also addressed the function.

Divergent views

Addressing the function, the State Forest & Environment Minister Kanjibhai Patel and his deputy Prabhatsinh Chauhan expressed divergent views on the various government agencies busy checking pollution and protecting environment in the State. While Chauhan criticised the Gujarat Pollution Control Board for not co-operating with his ministry, Patel was all praise for the Board and other agencies striving hard to protect the State's environment. Much to the discomfort of his senior colleague, Chauhan also expressed serious concern over "increasing illicit tree-felling and the virtual disappearance of tigers from the State forests".