Chandigarh, Oct. 27 -- More than two years after Punjab approved a Rs.21-crore initiative to scientifically demarcate forest boundaries across the state, the ambitious exercise remains held up in procedural formalities, with the revised Rs.35-crore proposal receiving only in-principle approval in August this year.

Despite the passage of several months, finalisation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) remains a prerequisite for the project to take off, highlighting the bureaucratic hurdles confronting a technology-driven exercise intended to strengthen forest protection.

The project was initially approved in June 2024 at an estimated cost of Rs.21 crore, with forest demarcation planned through light detection and ranging (LiDAR) tec...