Minister for Forests Ecology and Environment Chowdary Lal Singh Sunday said that augmentation of forest cover is priority of government and called for conservation of green gold by optimal utilization of all available resources The Minister said this after inspecting Forest Protection Force at Jawahar Tunnal and Harnag Anantnag. He said that the government is going to launch several measures in order to preserve the pristine glory of Jammu and Kashmir augmenting the forest cover is immediate need of hour. The Minister said that Forest department will be strengthened besides plantation drives will be launched in the nook and corner of the state so that every uncover space is made green again. He said that plantation and compensatory forest progremmes hold key in ecological balance and reducing man animal conflicts.
The Minister directed for plantation along both sides of the national highway (HM). He said that planting trees on the road sides was imperative to reduce pollution besides beautify the road links.The Minister also visited Forest Nursery at Bhijbehara and inspected various plantation sites and directed for increasing plantations to six lakh in the next year.The Minister was told that presently there are 3.50 lakh plants in the Nursery which include 2.50 lakh plants of two years and 1.50 lakh plants of one year and the area of the nursery is two hectares .The Minister was accompanied by MD State Forest Corporation Mr. Arun Tickoo, Chief CCF Kashmir Mr. Nissar Ahmad Darzi, Director Forest Protection Force Mr. O P Sharma, Chief Conservator Forests South Kashmir Mr Farooq Ahmad Geelani and other senior officers of the department.