Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment, Choudhary Lal Singh today visited the Tawi Herbal Eco-Park at Raika near Mahamaya temple to take stock of facilities being provided to the visitors.Director Social Forestry Arun Kumar Tickoo, Managing Director State Forest Corporation Suresh Gupta, Chief Conservator of Forests Roshan Jaggi besides other senior officers of Divisional Forest Officers of Territorial and Wildlife accompanied the Minister.The Minister directed the concerned to take requisite steps to upgrade the existing facilities and make these places more attractive so that the visitors spend more time there. He said environment parks are the lungs of Jammu city which need to be equipped with basic amenities and asked for taking up landscaping works along with plantation of composite species including herbal trees in the parks.
Choudhary Lal Singh also called for creating special recreational facilities for the school children and nature lovers, maintaining that beautification and developmental works should not harm the natural topography of the area.He directed the concerned officers to explore feasibility of developing more such eco-friendly environmental parks in and around Jammu city to attract a large number of tourists visiting Jammu .He said there is adequate potential in the adjoining areas of Jammu city which needs to be explored for the larger interest of local people and promoting tourism.Director Environment apprised the Minister about the species of herbal and other plants planted in these parks and future plans about their expansion and development.It was given out that Tawi Herbal Eco-Park has been developed over a land of 5000 kanal land comprising wide range of herbal plantation, besides attractive architectural features.