Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), in collaboration with the Urban Forest Division Jammu, today launched a plantation drive at the municipal dumping site at Kot Bhalwal. The initiative was inaugurated by JMC Commissioner Dr Devansh Yadav and aims to plant 5,000 saplings in and around the site to create a green buffer zone and improve environmental conditions.
The drive is being undertaken under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Under the programme, a dense urban forest will be developed using the Miyawaki Method, a technique that facilitates rapid growth of native plant species and creates a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Nearly 70% of the bioremediation work at the Kot Bhalwal dumpsite has already been completed under Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0, with the remaining work targeted for completion within the next two months. The plantation drive complements the ongoing remediation efforts and reflects JMC's commitment to converting environmentally stressed sites into productive and sustainable spaces.
Commissioner JMC Dr Devansh Yadav stated that the plantation of 5,000 saplings would help rejuvenate the area, strengthen the local ecosystem and gradually transform the surroundings into a sustainable green zone.
Among those present were Joint Commissioner Health and Sanitation (H&S) Abdul Sattar, Health Officer Dr Shahid Hussain, Municipal Veterinary Officer (MVO) Dr Jaswant Singh, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashwani Kumar and Assistant Floriculture Officer (AFO) Dr Rabia Khan, along with other officers and officials of JMC and the Urban Forest Division.