Social Forestry deptt, VPPCs conduct Plantation drive at Pampore

Pulwama: The Social Forestry department in association with 60 Village Panchayat Plantation Committees (VPPCs) of Pampore area conducted plantation drives.
The exercise is part of the ongoing winter plantation drives launched by the department in collaboration with concerned VPPCs in different districts of Kashmir.
Saturday in Pampore area, these 60 VPPCs of villages Mandora, Zradihad, Machama, Kahilel, Ladhoo, Pastona, Seer, Gulshanpora, Drabgam, Qasbyar, Kakapora, Mohanvij, Kahutalan etc. came together and took up plantation with assistance of Social Forestry Department. Various plants like Robenia, Deodar were planted on this occasion.
The Social Forestry Department has a target of planting 22 lakh plants in different districts of J&K on village common lands, state/shamlat deh lands, degraded forest lands, institutions and along roads and highways under “J&K Green Drive” and “Har Gaon Hariyali” initiatives.
During the programme, plants were distributed to people of different villages under the Farm Forestry component which aims at encouraging the common people to plant more and more trees on their lands to increase forest and tree cover to derive economic and environmental benefits.
The Social Forestry Department has distributed free benefits out of its plantations like 25521 Qtls of grasses/fodder and 6200 Qtls of firewood amongst 8221 families since April this year.
In Saturday’s event, among others PCCF/Director, Social Forestry Department, J&K Roshan Jaggi, Regional Director, Social Forestry Department, Kashmir Mehrajudin Malik, more than 100 Representatives from Panchayats ND DDCs /BDCs from Pulwama district participated.
Later, the Director along with Regional Director Social Forestry Kashmir, DFO, SF Pulwama inspected established plantations of the Department at National Highway Lethpora and had another mini-plantation drive there.
Director, Social Forestry informed that plantation drives shall continue in all districts up to March to achieve the targets of current plantation season.
The Social Forestry Department is also involving 75 schools in Kashmir and 75 schools in Jammu region in afforestation and awareness activities to mark “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” in J&K.
Director appealed to the people to join hands with the department to achieve the goal of Green J&K, as fixed by the Government led by Lt Governor’s Administration.