Chandigarh, May 19 -- The department of forest and wildlife preservation has finalised a Rs.30.44-crore conservation roadmap (2026-31) for the Harike wetland. This urgent revision follows a reprimand from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, which flagged Punjab's initial proposal for procedural, technical, and financial deficiencies.

A senior state wildlife official said the newly rectified integrated management plan (IMP) has been finalised and is being despatched to the ministry for immediate approval under the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA).

The scrutiny of the previous plan exposed administrative lapses, including the absence of formal approval from the state wetlands authority,...