JAMMU, NOVEMBER 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department has initiated a comprehensive UT-wide campaign involving members of Gram Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Paryavaran Mitras, locals, and Forest staff to eradicate plastic and polythene garbage from forest areas. The primary focus lies on tourist destinations such as Patnitop, Batote, Sanasar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Doodhpathri, which experience a high influx of visitors.
Roshan Jaggi, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF of the J&K Forest Department, distributed certificates of participation and engaged with participants who conducted clean-up drives in Champa and nearby areas in Batote over the last two days during the B2V5 campaign.
Jaggi urged locals and representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to raise awareness and regularly lead such campaigns in their respective areas to eliminate garbage and discourage the use of Single-use Plastics (SuP) in forests, aiming to preserve the natural environment’s health and serenity.
During the B2V program, the PCCF inaugurated a City Forest at Gram Panchayat Champa in Batote. This 200 kanals area along the Batote-Ramban Highway has been transformed into a City Forest, providing various amenities to both locals and tourists traveling along the National Highway. Representatives from the Gram Panchayat, Batote Municipal Committee, and locals applauded the Forest Department for creating recreational spaces.
The PCCF & HoFF reviewed the activities of Champa Gram Panchayat and participated in a plantation program under the Green JK Drive. Additionally, a high-level meeting of officers from Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, and Udhampur Districts was conducted at Batote to assess various developmental and forest protection initiatives.
The PCCF inspected the progress of the rehabilitation of over 600 hectares of highly degraded forest area along the Nathatop–Sanasar road, where 5.50 lakh plants are being planted as part of the CAMPA program to regenerate forests on extensively denuded land. An investment of Rs. 2778.5 lakh is dedicated to this special eco-restoration project, with plans to digitize and demarcate most vulnerable forest boundary lines by March 2024, creating a strong deterrent against forest encroachments.
The Department’s new Minor Forest Produce Policy has benefitted 1140 local households, facilitating the collection of 12 Minor Forest Produce species. Locals harvesting items like Guchie, Mushkbala, Dhoob, Nagchattri, Belladonna, Chilgosa, among others, are enjoying increased profits under this policy.
The PCCF & HoFF commended the field officers for their efforts in slope stabilization works using an improvised geo-textile technology under a special CAMPA Project along the Batote–Ramban–Banihal National Highway. This technology has proven highly effective in stabilizing chronically erosion-prone spots like Nashri.
During a two-day visit to Shopian and Anantnag areas in the Kashmir Valley, the PCCF & HoFF inaugurated the winter planting program under the Green J&K Drive 2023-24. Accompanied by senior officers from Forest and allied departments, these field visits aimed to support and oversee ongoing initiatives.”
