Continuing with the endeavour of encouraging people to plant more trees during rainy season, Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Ch Lal Singh today kick started plantation drive as part of 68th Van Mahotsav celebrations along the N.H. at Logate Morh, Rajbagh and across the boundary of Degree College at Kathua.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Ravi Kesar, District Development Commissioner, Ramesh Kumar, SSP Suleman Choudhary, Chief Wildlife Warden, Manoj Pant; Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Roshan Jaggi; Director Ecology and Environment, O P Sharma; Director Social Forestry, A K Gupta; Chief Conservator of Forests, Farooq Gillani; Director Forest Protection Force, Asif Sagar; Managing Director SFC, Suresh Gupta; Director SFRI, B M Sharma besides other senior officers of Forests and its allied wings, YS&S, R&B and RDD accompanied the Minister.Speaking on the occasion, Lal Singh said that Forests are important not only for sustaining life on this planet but they also play an important role in increasing agricultural production. He also said that it is our collective responsibility to plant trees during monsoon and Forest Department will facilitate this cause by providing saplings.
The minister further directed the Director of Social Forestry to plant trees in and around the Government institutions, streets and towns to negate the effect of carbon emission and further the purpose of greenery.Emphasizing the importance of various allied wings of Forest Department, the Minister informed that Pollution Control Board will soon provide Pollution Certificate online after completing all the formalities and will prove to be a bench mark in fixing accountability and improving transparency in the functioning of the department. Similarly, State Forest Corporation is providing timber in urban as well as rural areas throughout the year and announced that Jasrota will soon have a Timber Depot.Later, the Minister laid foundation stone for improvement and Repair of path at Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary which is to be completed with an estimated cost of Rs. 73.34 Lakh. Addressing the locals at Jasrota, Lal Singh said that after completion of this path a long pending demand of the area will be addressed as the place has religious significance and holds great tourist potential. He further stated that when this path gets completed only battery cars will be used for transportation so that the forests and wild life inside the sanctuary can be preserved.
To further facilitate the tourists, the Minister added that Tourists Hut along with Rescue Centre for protecting wild life will be constructed in this sanctuary.Renovation of Temple, Rejuvenation of ponds and planting trees of different varieties in Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary are few more initiatives to be under taken by the Forest Department so that its pristine glory can be revived and will help in avoiding man-animal conflict, the Minister added.The Minister also inaugurated Forest Fire Control room at Jasrota.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests said that it is the initiative of Forest Department through which a Green Tunnel along the N.H. from Lakhanpur to Leh will be developed comprising Fruits, Floriculture and Medicinal plants besides Timber providing trees. He also said that under the endeavour of Van Mahotsav extensive plantation drive is being carried out throughout the region for reversing the harmful effects of deforestation and global warming. He also called for generating massive awareness regarding harmful effects of deforestation and need to plant more trees to maintain fragile ecological balance.