KT NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, July 23 : The 59th Van Mahotsava was today celebrated by the Social Forestry Department in the main campus of SKUAST Jammu.
Van Mahotsav is celebrated throughout the country during the monsoon season by planting saplings of tree species with the objective of securing peoples participation in afforestation activities.
Vice Chairman of SKUAST-Jammu, Prof.
Nagendra Sharma inaugurated the celebration by planting a sapling of Araucaria in the Shere-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology SKUAST.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Social Forestry elaborated on the role of Department in meeting the demands of the society for forest products like timber, fodder and fire wood so that natural forests can be preserved.
He informed that 17,00,000 of plants have already been distributed to farmers and other individuals to increase the forest cover.
So far 2000 village forest committees have been formed in J&K and there working in tandom with Social Forestry Department to protect the plantations, he added.
He said this year 8.5 lakh plants will be planted in over 900 ha of land in Jammu region.
The Vice Chancellor, SKUAST deliberated on the role of forests in maintenance of ecological balance and the need of raising awareness among masses in this regard.
On the occasion, cheques worth Rs.
11.50 lakh distributed among various Social Forestry VFCs.
This amount will be provided to the beneficiaries under Social Forestry as per SRO-61 of 1992 and SRO-17 of 1999 and 75 percent of the income from village wood lot go to concerned VFCs.
Earlier, the Director Social Forestry accompanied by Vice Chancellor SKUAST Jammu started plantation drive by planting 50 saplings in the premises of SKUAST.
The Director Social Forestry, Shafat Ahmed, Chief Conservator of Forests, Abhay Kumar, Asstt.
Director General(HRDA) Bisht Asstt.
Director ICAR, CIPHET(ICAR)Ludhiana, Dr.R.K.Sharma, Registrar, Dr.K.S.Rissam, Director Extension Education Dr.R.M.Bhagat,DRI cum Dean PGS, Dr.N.A.Sudan Director Research, Retired PCCFs, P.P Sharma, S.D Swatantra, Senior Forest Officer, Prof of SKUASTUniversity were also present on the occasion besides members of Village Forest Committees, senior citizens, students and staff of SKUAST also participated in the programme.