STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a meeting on Thursday with the Forest Department to review efforts in treating degraded areas through plantations and conservation measures. Key attendees included the Additional Chief Secretary (Forests), Pr Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), and other senior officials.
Dulloo emphasized the need to bridge the gap between degraded forest areas and the designated treatment areas outlined in the working plans. He urged the department to expedite the installation of Boundary Pillars (BPs) in vulnerable regions and ensure their geo-tagging. He also inquired about the availability of planting materials in nurseries, stressing the importance of stocking resources for ongoing afforestation campaigns like ‘J&K Green Drive,’ ‘Ek Ped Shahidon Ke Naam,’ and ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam.’
Additional Chief Secretary Dheeraj Gupta highlighted the department’s proactive measures and reported that they had exceeded the target for ‘Ek Ped Shahidon Ke Naam,’ planting 67,840 saplings across 1,800 events against a target of 40,786 saplings.
PCCF BK Singh shared ambitious goals, aiming to plant 150 lakh saplings under ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ and ‘Ek Ped Shahidon Ke Naam’ collectively, alongside 100 lakh saplings through other afforestation initiatives. So far, approximately 38 lakh saplings have been planted under ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ and around 28 lakh under various other schemes.
The department has prioritized 2,150 sq km of degraded forest for treatment via remote sensing, with 552 sq km treated in the last five years. As of now, 2,99,020 BPs have been installed in 2,135 forests, with a survival rate of 62.70%. Third-party evaluations have confirmed the quality of work, with details available on the e-green watch portal for public awareness.