Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, today underscored the need to minimize felling of forest trees and carrying out re-plantation/afforestation to compensate the diversion of forest land for developmental works.
Chairing the 82nd Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) meeting here today, the Chief Secretary said that arresting environmental degradation together with minimum disturbance to the forest ecology must remain in focus, while planning any developmental project in the State. “Every possible alternative must be explored to reduce the negative ecological impact involving least number of trees,” he stressed.
The Committee discussed and considered various proposals to allow use of forest land for construction of power projects, roads, ropeways and tunnels falling in Kishtwar, Poonch, Jammu, Sindh and Kargil Forest Divisions.
The Chief Secretary said that the user agencies have the responsibility to carry out eco-restoration of muck dumping sites through engineering solutions and biological means. He directed the Forest Department to monitor developmental projects in each Forest Division besides stepping up field visits by forest officials to ascertain ground situation in their respective forest areas.
The Chief Secretary also asked the Forest Department to carry out plantation drive along new roads/bye-passes being constructed across the State.
The meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner Revenue, Dr. Arun Kumar, Principal Secretary Planning, B. R. Sharma, Secretary Forest, Mohammad Afzal Bhat, Principal Chief Conservator Forest, Abhai Kumar, Chief Wild Life Warden, Suresh Chugh and other senior officers.
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