SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 26: As part of Afforestation activities in temperate regions of Jammu & Kashmir, the Department of Social Forestry has given a widespread start to plantation activities across various districts of valley.The PCCF/Director, Department of Social Forestry, Roshan Jaggi in last one week visited various districts of Kashmir valley to give start to the plantation activities involving Gram Panchayats, Educational Institutions, Village Panchayat (Plantation) Committees, NGOs, local people and Govt. Organizations like Police/Army etc.Interacting with PRIs and local people at Kupwara, Baramulla, Pulwama and Anantnag, Jaggi informed that the Department will take up more than 12 lakh planation on community/panchayat fringe and degraded forest lands in the current winter season and about 925 Villages are expected to be get benefitted with these activities.He disclosed that this year department has decided to complete substantial quantity of plantation targets before “Chilla Kalan” spell during which temperature drops substantially and planation activities are withheld till March. Timely rains this year have provided enough soil moisture which is conducive for plantation activities in colder regions of J&K.Official spokesperson informed that the Department is laying focus on augmenting the production of plantable grasses and leaf fodder by raising silvi-pasture units to make available good quality fodder free of cost to local people, which has an important role to strengthen rural economy.
