The Forest department today organized one day DFO’s conference to deliberate on deliverables assigned by the government for 2022-23. Inaugurating conference, Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Sanjeev Verma, congratulated the forest and sister departments for planting 137.20 lakh saplings during the last financial year besides plantation of over 95 lakh saplings through low cost interventions like seed balls, patch sowing and grass slips. He highlighted deliverables on restoration of water bodies especially the village ponds, Har Gaon Hariyali through ‘One Beat Guard, One Village Program’ under ‘Green Jammu & Kashmir Drive’.
He directed the officers for creation of Nagar Vans, slope stabilization, promotion of ecotourism, catchment area treatment, engaging tourists in planting for branding, augmenting efforts on ‘Forests for Livelihood’ and working closely with Rural and Urban Local Bodies. He also called for more afforestation outside forest areas for increasing carbon sequestration. Speaking on the conference, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Dr Mohit Gera, complimented the officers for initiating several innovative works like ‘One Beat Guard, One Village Program’, low-cost planting interventions, slope stabilization with modern methods of coir logs and geo-textile mats, opening of 75 forest trek routes and city forests at several locations. He also complimented them for internalizing the participatory planting with Gram Panchayats, Biodiversity Management Committees and Joint Forest Management Committees. He asked the officers for promotion of medicinal and non-timber plants under CAMPA, restoration of degraded forest under Green India Mission and regular planting under CAPEX. He informed that a total of 20,000 ha area will be brought under afforestation by the department. The other targets to be achieved included survey and erection of 28,000 boundary pillars to secure forest land, coverage of 1500 villages under One Beat Guard, One Village Program and coverage of all village panchayats under Har Gaon Hariyali campaign. Sarvesh Rai, CEO CAMPA, Vasu Yadav, Managing Director, Forest Development Corporation, Brij Mohan Sharma, APCCF Jammu, T. Rabi Kumar, APCCF Kashmir, Dr. B. Balaji, CCF Planning and Projects spoke about various aspects of CAMPA, CAPEX, GIM, convergence with MGNREGA and wood based industries. The conference further deliberated on the scope of augmentation of fodder, non-timber Forest produce, eco-tourism for supporting livelihood of local communities through forest-based industry. The participating officers shared their experiences about last year’s activities besides discussing new activities to be undertaken this year. Dr Gera outlined the deliverables assigned to the forest department for the current year besides highlighting the ways and means to deliver them effectively with involvement of stakeholders especially PRIs, line departments, educational Institutions especially the eco-clubs.
