The Executive Committee of CAMPA has recommended for afforestation of 13000 ha forest area in the 2021-22.The Committee made the recommendations at its 26th meeting held the other day under the chairmanship of Dr. Mohit Gera, Pr. Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force.During the meeting, the PCCF reviewed the ongoing activities of CAMPA and scrutinised the proposed Annual Plan of Operations for the next financial year.The meeting was attended by the senior officers of the Forest and allied Departments including Dr. Neelu Gera, Director Social Forestry Department; S.K. Gupta, Chief Wildlife Warden; Asaf Mahmood, Director, J&K Forest Research Institute; J. Frankoi, Director, Forest Protection Force; T. Rabi Kumar, APCCF (Central); S.F.A. Gillani, APCCF Kashmir and representatives of Finance, Science & Technology, Revenue, Planning Development & Monitoring, Forest, Environment & Ecology, Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Tribal Affairs Departments.Non-official members, Nazir-Be-Nazir (President National Society for Protection of Water Resources, Wetlands & Forests, Kashmir); Dr. Gurmeet Singh (President, SAWERA, Jammu) and Ch. Asaf Iqbal (Advocate) representing the interest of tribal communities also participated.The PCCF & HoFF, Dr. Mohit Gera briefed the Committee about the major initiatives undertaken by the forest department, such as low cost greening through seed balls of the areas under landsides, muck dumping sites and supplementing the existing closures as well as “Pehredaar” Mobile App launched during current financial year to enable the people to report forest damages, forest fires and encroachments on real time basis.
He also spoke on augmentation of fodder production and promotion of medicinal plants for livelihood generation of forest dependent communities.The Chief Executive Officer CAMPA, Sarvesh Rai, briefed the committee about the ongoing works of CAMPA and new proposals for the next financial year. The process related to tendering in respect of most of the works approved for current financial year has been completed. About 90% of the current year’s targets relating to afforestation and infrastructure works, which are about two times of the previous year’s targets, are likely to be completed by the end of March, 2021, against all odds.The CAMPA portal is being developed with a view to make the entire process online to enable Division Level Officers to prepare and upload Annual Plan of Operations, reporting of physical & financial progress and its online monitoring.For next FY 2021-22, about 13000 ha of degraded and open forest area is proposed to be rehabilitated with planting of about 72 lakh plants and other related measures, such, as patch sowing, dibbling and soil & moisture conservation works to augment natural regeneration.All site-specific interventions have been proposed in consultation with the Panchayats. Plantation of local species to meet the demands of the people for fodder and fuel wood have been given due preference. Wildlife Protection Department has proposed a number of wildlife protection and conservation measures, which include improvement of wildlife habitat, soil & water conservation works, protection, maintenance of animal rescue centres, eco-development activities and development of wildlife related infrastructure. Other projects proposed for the next FY include rehabilitation of degraded forests to prevent illegal cultivation of Bhang in several forest divisions of Kashmir Region, Development of City Forests, promotion of bamboo cultivation and Soil & Water Conservation woks in Kandi area of Jammu Region.