Bandipora: As part of Green JK Drive, the JK Forest Department on Tuesday launched a massive plantation drive in Bandipora in collaboration with Hassan Khoyihami Memorial (HKM) Government Degree College, Bandipora.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dr Mohit Gera (IFS) inaugurated the plantation drive aimed at planting 3000 saplings around the Patushai hills.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Gera said that the department aims to plant one crore saplings across Jammu & Kashmir to increase the forest cover of Jammu & Kashmir
While interacting with the students, he said that tree plantation is the most important to boost environmental protection measures. He elaborated the Green J&K Drive initiative under which the Forest Department is collaborating with different departments for carrying out institutional plantations.
While stressing on the need to increase the green/forest cover, Gera urged the students to nurture and protect these saplings planted Tuesday for initial years so that all the plants survive and the landscape of the hills around college turns green. He said the forest biomass of JK is maximum than the entire country per hectare and also has max diversity in forest.
Afterwards the PCCF visited Bandipora Forest Division, Kashmir Forest Training School & Wular Lake.
Conservator Srinagar Circle Zubair Ahmad, Conservator North Irfan Rasool Wani, Principal of the College Mohammad Amin Malik, DFO Bandipora besides students, faculty members, officers of the Forest department and WUCMA were present on the occasion.
Similarly, another Mega Plantation drive was organised at a hillock in Manasbal in Sindh Forest Division, Ganderbal by the Forest Department in coordination with PRI and rural bodies of Block Safapora under the same initiative.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J&K, Dr Mohit Gera, Conservator of Forests Srinagar Circle Zubair Ahmad Shah, BDC Chairperson Safapora Gowher Ahmed, Nazir Be Nazir NGO member, Forest Officers, Sarpanchs, Panchs and local youth participated in the drive.
The drive witnessed the plantation of around 1000 plants of indigenous species of Kail, Deodar, Chinar, Prunus and other broad leaved species on the degraded hillock area in Compartment 1, Manasbal.
