Green cover

Forest cover is very important to sustain socio economic conditions in the rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Recently the government said that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed substantial increase in its total forest cover in the past three years.

Har Gaon Hariyali program, a unique initiative launched by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, in consonance with the vision of ‘Green Jammu and Kashmir’ drive has proved instrumental towards ensuring sustainable development besides promoting climate justice across the Union Territory.

The ambitious program is also contributing tremendously towards increasing the carbon stock especially in villages located near degraded forests of J&K.

The Green Jammu and Kashmir drive itself is in commensuration with the National Forest Policy 1988 and the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Policy 2011 which envisages afforestation on all degraded and denuded lands in the union territory within and outside forests.

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, recently said that  the ‘Green Jammu and Kashmir‘ campaign aims at creating a people’s movement at a massive scale with involvement of all stakeholders particularly village panchayats, women, students, Urban Local bodies, NGOs and civil society.

The aim of the government is to bring two third geographical area of Jammu and Kashmir under the forest and tree cover. The forest and tree cover in Jammu and Kashmir is about 55 percent, which is substantially higher than the national average of 24.56 percent.