Commissioner Secretary Forests, Ecology and Environment, Sanjeev Verma today convened a meeting to deliberate on Detailed Project Reports regarding rejuvenation of Chenab, Jhelum and Ravi rivers prepared by Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI).Dr. Mohit Gera, Principal Chief Conservator Forests (HoFF), Roshan Jaggi, PCCF/ Director Social Forestry, Suresh Gupta,PCCF/CWLW besides APCCF/ CEO, CAMPA, Director Soil and Water Conservation, CCF/Nodal Officer FCA, APCCF (K), CCF (J) and other senior officers of Forest, Agriculture, Horticulture and Housing & Urban Development Department attended the meeting.An overview of the DPRs was presented by Dr. Sher Singh Samant, Director, Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Shimla. He along with his team also gave a detailed presentation on various aspects of DPRs of all the three rivers besides the interventions required in three different landscapes i.e. Natural, Agricultural and Urban.Commissioner Secretary exhorted upon all the stakeholder departments to give an overall overview of funds and year wise area to be covered in the specified area as proposed in the DPRs.
He also advised that the proposed interventions should be dovetailed in to the ongoing schemes so that these can be implemented on ground at the earliest.Dr. Mohit Gera highlighted the importance of river rejuvenation through forestry intervention and underscored the fact that Canopy cover of the forests play a key role in increasing the infiltration, reducing the soil erosion, habitat management and finally leads to improving the quality and quantity of water in the river ecosystems. He further enquired about the interventions proposed and the geographical location with area of extent where these interventions are proposed.He also informed that the draft DPR to be circulated among all field officers so that the mechanism for the implementation of the proposed interventions in integration of ongoing schemes can be chalked out. He also requested the HFRI to prepare the GIS based information regarding the geographic location of the area to be treated as per the projects for rejuvenation prepared by them.