Social Forestry Division Udhampur organises Plantation drive to mark Van Mahotsav

Udhampur : To mark the celebration of Van-Mahotsav, a green J&K plantation drive was organized by the Social Forestry Division Udhampur in collaboration with 15th Battalion Indo- Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in its Battalion premises.District Development Council Chairperson, Udhampur Lal Chand was the chief guest, who started the Plantation drive with the ceremonial plantation of a chinar sapling in the ITBP Campus.Around 800 saplings of different indigenous ornamental, shade bearing, fruit bearing, medicinal and timber yielding species were planted.While speaking on the occasion, the DDC Chairperson appreciated the role of Social Forestry Department in increasing the green cover of the Union Territory and benefit accrued to the people to meet their local demands of grass, leaf fodder, fuel wood, small timber and other forest produce. He appealed to the local people, members of the PRIs, students, NGOs & other stakeholders to come forward and participate in such Plantation drives.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests/ Director, Department of Social Forestry, J&K, Roshan Jaggi, informed that during the rainy season every year, the Department of Social Forestry celebrates Vanmahotsav by carrying out many such Plantation drives. He said that the way climate change is causing miseries to the people & resulting in weather- related disasters, the only way to protect the human race is by planting more and more trees. He also intimated that the Plantation drives are being carried out at Panchayat levels involving the members of the PRI and locals and the department is also distributing saplings to the people to carry out such plantation drives.The Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Indu Kanwal Chib lauded the efforts of Social Forestry Department for involving all the stakeholders viz. DDCs, BDCs and VPPC Chairmen in the plantation drive and also appreciated the 15th Bn ITBP in collaborating with the Department to make the drive a successful one.Among others who participated in the Vanmahotsav function & Green J&K Drive were Regional Director Social Forestry, Mohinder Gupta, Deputy Commandant 15th Bn ITBP, Amardeep Singh, BDC Chairman, Balwan Singh, Chairmans of the Village Panchayat Plantation Committees, DFO Social Forestry Division Udhampur Abinav Ramyotra and concerned officers of different departments.