The government will establish seven quick response centres in different parts of the state to tackle incursions of wild animals, especially elephants and leopards, into areas populated by people.

The flood damage in forested areas has been assessed at Rs 4.38 crore, and the government will ask for compensation from the Centre.

A project to promote bamboo as a cash crop across the state is also in the offing.

These decisions were taken at a closed-door meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday to review the work of the environment and forest department. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, development commissioner Shishir Sinha, environment and forest department principal secretary Vivek Kumar Singh and other senior officials were present at the meeting.

'Bihar faces regular incursions of wild elephants from Nepal, Bengal and Jharkhand,' Anjani said. 'Similarly, leopards stray into populated areas. Now, officials from Patna are sent to tranquillise them, but we have felt the need to have response centres in different parts of the state so that quick action could be taken.'

Principal chief conservator of forest D.K. Shukla said the centres will be set up in Muzaffarpur, Bettiah (West Champaran), Bhagalpur, Purnea, Araria, Patna, and Gaya.

The government has decided to launch a campaign to promote bamboo as a cash crop and feels there is vast potential for it in districts in north and northeast Bihar.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the environment and forest department shows that Bihar, which aims at 17 per cent green cover, has achieved the 15 per cent mark. An independent agency will assess the condition of tree-planting scheme along roads, especially close to the cities. A botanical survey being conducted with the help of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, is in its last stages and its report will throw light on the actual status of varieties of plants in Bihar. The last such extensive survey was conducted in Bihar during the British era.

The chief minister gave directions at the meeting to develop the areas around the hot water springs in Bhimbandh in Munger as tourist spots like Rajgir in Nalanda district.

'Special focus will be given on developing the ecotourism potential in Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve area as it is coming up in a big way on the tourism circuit,' said Vivek Kumar Singh.

'The number of tourists coming there has increased five-fold to 35,000 per annum in the last five years. We are targeting to take it up to 1 lakh.'

The state government has also decided to build observation decks on the under-construction bridge across the Ganga at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district to promote viewing of Gangetic dolphins by tourists.

The government will provide incentives to promote use of vehicles that run on CNG (compressed natural gas) or batteries charged by electricity. CNG will become available through the Haldia-Jagdishpur gas pipeline being laid by the central government.

The government also announced that eight of the rhinos swept in from Nepal's Chitwan National Park have been repatriated and efforts are on to rescue a few more.