Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 13: Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, Choudhary Lal Singh today directed officers of Wild Life Sanctuary and Forest Department to immediately remove encroachments on forest land at Nagrota bypass area.
The Minister gave these directions during his visit to the area. Chief Conservator of Forests Roshan Jaggi, Director Forest Protection Force Suresh Gupta besides Divisional Forest Officers of Forests and its allied departments accompanied the Minister.
During the visit, the Minister spotted some illegal constructions on the Wild Life Sanctuary land and directed the officers to take adequate action to remove these encroachments without any further delay. He also asked officers to take up demarcation of the land to check encroachments.
The Minister said that a plan is underway to develop deer park, forest Check Post and forest closures and nurseries on that land and directed the officers of forest Department to ensure regular check of forest assets to curb theft of timber and encroachments. He also directed for proper dress code of the rangers and guards of the department during duty hours.
The Minister directed to launch a plantation drive along the Nagrota bye-pass after proper demarcation of the forest land. He said plantation drive would be a regular feature and the department has already identified the worst affected areas. “Government has chalked out a comprehensive plan to rejuvenate the degraded forests areas across the State,” the Minister informed.
He also asked for digging of hand-pumps and constructing ponds for proper irrigation in nurseries and forests.
Earlier, the Minister also visited Birpur and Purmandal areas and inspected the ponds at Data Ran Pat Dev Jee Devsathan, Badi Malani and Nikki Malani and Pacca Talab near Government High School Birpur and directed the officers of Soil and Water Conservation department to immediately start the restoration work of these water bodies and construct chain link fencing and take up plantation of Silver Oak, Jamun, Guva, Amla, Imli, Bel-Patri, Shisham, Bongan Villa and Behra trees around these ponds.
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