Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology Choudhary Lal Singh has directed the Divisional Forest Officers of Jammu Division to start a massive plantation drive and set a target of planting about one lakh ornamental and fruit saplings in the forest areas and alongside the roads during the current monsoon season.The Minister issued these directions while chairing a meeting of officers of Forest department and its allied wings at Forest Information Centre here today.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests A K Singh, Chairman Pollution Control Board Ravi Kessar, Director, Social Forestry, Suresh Chugh, Chief Conservator Forests, Forest Protection Force Suresh Gupta, Managing Director, State Forest Corporation, Arun Tikoo, Chief Conservator of Forests, A K Gupta, besides Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) of Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Kathua districts attended the meeting.The Minister asked the DFOs to put in concerted efforts and mobilize the available resources for taking up plantation drive in the Month of July-August in Jammu region, adding that plantation drive will also be taken up in Kashmir region simultaneously.
He asked them to immediately start plantation drive in degraded forest areas of their respective jurisdictions. He said that Government has identified for immediate chain link fencing of forest areas in Sunjwan, Doongain, Dhammi, Panjgrain, Ban Panjgrain, Kala Kupper, Kalajarh, Chilla, Lodhwal, Sanasar road side to Kud via Patnitop, Tringla, Kothri, Marara, Ludara, Nogana, Ramkote and Plail to avoid encroachments. He asked the DFOs to submit the report on daily basis on the progress on chain link fencing and plantation on degraded forest areas. Choudhary Lal Singh directed for achieving cent percent targets of plantation in monsoon especially on degraded and uncovered forest land on priority. He stressed that work, in this regard, should be visible on ground and directed for third party monitoring and inspection to ascertain the progress on the project. He also stressed the need for planting ornamental plants alongside the Jammu-Udhampur and Domail-Katra National Highway.Maintaining that public participation is vital for preservation of environment, the Minister urged upon people to come forward and voluntarily participate in the plantation drive. He said people should plant trees in their surroundings, schools, colleges and Government offices, saying that the department will provide saplings free of cost during the rainy season.The Minister asked the officers to install sprinkle irrigation system and ponds in the nurseries and forest closures. He asked the concerned for taking up works of up-gradation of existing nurseries under CAMPA scheme 2016-17.The Minister also directed the concerned for construction of crates and protection bandhs to avoid soil erosion due to flash floods in nallahs during rainy season.