Jammu, July 07: Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology Choudhary Lal Singh has directed the Divisional Forest Officers of Jammu Division to start a massive plantation drive and set a target of planting about one lakh ornamental and fruit saplings in the forest areas and alongside the roads during the current monsoon season.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests A K Singh, Chairman Pollution Control Board Ravi Kessar, Director, Social Forestry, Suresh Chugh, Chief Conservator Forests, Forest Protection Force Suresh Gupta, Managing Director, State Forest Corporation, Arun Tikoo, Chief Conservator of Forests, A K Gupta, besides Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) of Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Kathua districts attended the meeting.
The Minister asked the DFOs to put in concerted efforts and mobilize the available resources for taking up plantation drive in the Month of July-August in Jammu region, adding that plantation drive will also be taken up in Kashmir region simultaneously. He asked them to immediately start plantation drive in degraded forest areas of their respective jurisdictions. He said that Government has identified for immediate chain link fencing of forest areas in Sunjwan, Doongain, Dhammi, Panjgrain, Ban Panjgrain, Kala Kupper, Kalajarh, Chilla, Lodhwal, Sanasar road side to Kud via Patnitop, Tringla, Kothri, Marara, Ludara, Nogana, Ramkote and Plail to avoid encroachments. He asked the DFOs to submit the report on daily basis on the progress on chain link fencing and plantation on degraded forest areas.
The Minister also directed the concerned for construction of crates and protection bandhs to avoid soil erosion due to flash floods in nallahs during rainy season.
