‘1.30 Cr saplings to be planted across UT this year’
Jammu Tawi, July 30: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha launched “Green J&K Drive-2021” from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu on Friday. During this year, as many as 1.30 crore saplings are proposed to be planted across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Lt Governor planted a ‘cypresses’ sapling in the IIT Campus to mark the launch of this mega plantation drive.
The Green J&K Drive initiative is in consonance with the National Forest Policy, 1988 & the JK Forest Policy, 2011 which envisage afforestation on all degraded & denuded lands in the UT within & outside forests.
Our aim is to bring two-third geographical area of J&K under the forest and tree cover. The forest and tree cover in Jammu and Kashmir is about 55%, which is substantially higher than the national average of 24.56%, said the Lt Governor, underlined the importance balance between development and conservation of our environment. There has never been a more urgent need to revive ecology than today, he remarked.
He expressed satisfaction over the initiation of Green Jammu and Kashmir campaign by Forest Department targeting to plant 130 lakh plants this year, in collaboration with schools, Non-Governmental institutions, Village Panchayat Plantation Committees (VPPCs) to mark the completion of 130 years of dedicated service of the department to enhance the green cover in the UT.
I am happy that the Green India Mission is being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir in the spirit of public participation which will bring economic benefits apart from improving the quality and quantity of forests in 320 villages, said the Lt Governor.
Scientific findings show that this decade matters most in preventing catastrophic climate change and reducing biodiversity loss. The United Nations on 5 June 2021 launched a major ambitious program – the “Decade of Ecosystem Restoration”, which is an important step towards restoring the destroyed ecology.
The Lt Governor appreciated the Forest Department and the IIT Jammu for aiming at planting 10,000 trees in the IIT Jammu campus in this monsoon.
The Lt Governor asked the IIT Jammu management for taking eco-friendly initiatives so that this institution can join the Green Metric World Colleges competition on the basis of its Green Campus and Sustainability and can make its place in the top 50 ranking.
The Lt Governor advised the IIT Faculty to install a bio-digester to convert the campus waste into energy and also setting up of Biodiversity Park in the campus on the lines of Visvesvaraya Technological University.
“Whatever measures we are taking today to restore ecology and reduce air pollution, plastic pollution, I believe that it will prove to be a boon for the coming generations whether it is in villages or in cities”, maintained the Lt Governor.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor handed over the cheques worth Rs 1.97 cr to various Village Panchayat Plantation Committees (VPPCs) as the proceeds of harvesting of mature trees.
Earlier, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, in his address through video conferencing urged the Forest department and the Village Panchayat Plantation Committees to engage common people in the drive in a participatory mode to enhance the forest and tree cover.
Dr. Mohit Gera, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K, in his address highlighted the initiatives of Forests department in improving the ecology and green cover in the UT.
Sanjeev Verma, Commissioner Secretary Forest, Ecology and Environment spelled out the future action plan for making the initiative a grand success.
Dr Manoj Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu read the welcome address and Sh. Roshan Jaggi, Director Social Forestry delivered the vote of thanks.
