Commissioner Secretary Forests reviews progress on Smart City Mission, CAMPA, CAPEX, CSS

JAMMU, MAY 21: Commissioner Secretary, Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment, Sanjeev Verma, today held an online meeting to review progress on plantation of 5 lakh plants each, under Smart City Mission, in Jammu and Srinagar cities besides assessing implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes like CAMPA of Forest and Social Forestry Department.

The meeting was attended by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dr. Mohit Gera; Director Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing, Dr. Neelu Gera; Chief Wildlife Warden, Suresh Gupt; Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Kashmir; Chief Conservator of Forest, Jammu; Chief Conservator of Forests, Planning and Projects; Chief Executive Officers of Smart City Mission Jammu and Srinagar cities, Additional Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar districts.

The meeting was informed that the Forest Department has prepared a detailed plan under Green J&K drive wherein 5 lakh plants each have been kept for plantation in smart cities of Jammu and Srinagar.  The department will plant these saplings in the identified areas and will also provide saplings to various other agencies for plantation in the earmarked areas under the Mission. Besides, the Social Forestry Department will also be contributing in this plantation drive especially in institutions.

Regarding progress achieved in the month of April under CAPEX, CAMPA and other CSS schemes, It was informed that the actual planting season starts in the month of July in Jammu region and November in Kashmir region.  Besides, at present all the forest divisions are all set for the plantation drive and sufficient plants have already been raised and being maintained in the government nurseries besides e-tendering for works, procurement of materials is also going on in full swing. The meeting was also informed about the innovative low cost Greening interventions that the forest department has taken up. Besides, seeds covered with soil, fertilizers, pesticides are prepared in the form of seed balls and deployed in most difficult terrains like land slip areas, steep slopes and stabilized muck dumping sites.

It was further informed in the meeting that under “One Forest Guard – One Village” initiative a Forest Guard will be made in charge for one village in his jurisdiction for the purpose of greening, biodiversity conservation besides his conventional job of forest protection. Besides, each Forest Division (Territorial) will take up 35 villages for increasing the green cover in these villages and a total of 1,000 villages will be covered in the year 2021-22 and Rs. 1 crore will be spent, for the purpose, out of Plan Budget.

Commissioner Secretary appreciated the new initiatives launched by the department and exhorted upon the department to record the data and analyze the same at the end of the financial year to improve it for the ensuing years.