Bandipora, March 09: JK Forest Department on Tuesday launched a massive plantation drive in Bandipora as part of JK Green Drive in collaboration with Hassan Khoyihami Memorial (HKM) Government Degree College Bandipora.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr Mohit Gera (IFS) inaugurated the plantation drive and aims to plant 3000 saplings around the Patushai hills.
Students, Faculty members, officers of the Forest Department and WUCMA participated in the drive. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mohit Gera said the department aims to plant one crore saplings across the UT to increase the forest cover of the UT
Dr Mohit Gera while interacting with the students 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 today 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.
He also asked DFO concerned to depute experts regularly for taking care of planted saplings. He said forest officials are soldiers of ecological security.
On the occasion the college authorities applauded the efforts of Forest Department for the initiative taken up to increase the forest cover of the UT
Afterwards the PCCF visited Bandipora Forest Division, Kashmir Forest Training School & Wular Lake. Conservator Srinagar circle zubair Ahamd, Conservator North Irfan Rasool wani, Shabir Ahmad DFO Bandipora besides Principal of the College Mohammad Amin Malik were present on the occasion.
