Vulnerable forest areas secured in & around Jammu city
City forests created in various parts of Jammu division
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 20: Nearly 85000 hectares (ha) area has been treated by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) across Jammu and Kashmir as against 6581 hectares of forest land diverted for various types of developmental activities. Moreover, vulnerable forest areas in and around Jammu city have been secured from the encroachers by installing chain link fencing.
As per the official data available with EXCELSIOR during the past over one decade a total of 6581.65 hectares of forest land was diverted for non-forestry purposes across Jammu and Kashmir and against this 84439 hectares of area has been treated by planting 557.97 lakh saplings by CAMPA, which has the primary task of ensuring compensatory afforestation.
The situation has improved significantly during the past four-five years as on one side the diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes has witnessed decline and on the other side treatment of area by CAMPA has increased enormously.
In 2019-20 and 2020-21, 794 hectares and 884.13 hectares of forest land was diverted for developmental activities but the diversion declined to 298.97 hectares in 2021-22 and 216.98 hectares in 2022-23. However, treatment of area has witnessed sharp rise and this is evident from the fact that compensatory afforestation was done on 6636 hectares of area in 2019-20 and in 2022-23 the same was on 10445 hectares of area. In 2022-23, record 61.77 lakh saplings were planted under the close monitoring of CAMPA and the survival rate of the plants is up to the expectations of the concerned authorities.
During the just concluded financial year (2022-23) 10445 hectares of area was treated under CAMPA while as 44.06 lakh Rft fencing was done and demarcation of forest was done by installing 14071 boundary pillars.
Moreover, for securing vulnerable forest areas in and around Jammu city, fencing work was carried out under CAMPA at Bathindi, Dungian, near Batra Hospital, Kheri and Roop Nagar. “A total of 28,800 Rft chain link fencing has been constructed covering 1000 hectares of forest area at the cost of Rs 3.5 crore to prevent encroachments”, official sources said.
Disclosing that due to heavy grazing and other anthropogenic factors the forest areas around Patnitop-Nathatop tourist circuit falling mainly in Batote Forest Division and partly in Udhampur Forest Division have degraded over a period of time, sources said that for eco-restoration of the area, angle iron mesh-wise fencing, stabilization of landslides and slips through engineering and biotic measures, natural and artificial regeneration of forests by planting of conifer and broadleaved species and repair/renovation of migratory routes of nomads have been undertaken at the cost of Rs 2.20 crore.
“To protect the forest land around Dera-Ki-Gali from encroachers, mesh-wire fencing of 30280 Rft covering the area of 120 hectares has been constructed”, sources said. Further, city forests have been created at different places like Jangi Morh near Batote, Sungli Puneja near Bhaderwah and in Reasi. These city forests will become major public attraction once these are opened for the commoners in near future.
When contacted, Sarvesh Rai, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) J&K CAMPA said, “we are carrying out all our activities by involving Panchayats so as to ensure transparency. Moreover, we have conducted 3rd party audit of all works done under CAMPA till March 2022 as the same is mandatory as per the guidelines”.
About the financial audit, the CEO said that financial audit of J&K CAMPA accounts for the period 2010-11 to 2019-20 have been completed by CAG empanelled Character Accountancy Firms and the reports of the Financial Audit for each year were placed before the Executive and Steering Committees, which approved the same for submission to the Principal Accountant General, J&K.
He further informed that in accordance with Rule 38 of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, J&K CAMPA has prepared annual reports for the financial years 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 and the same have been approved and submitted to the Principal Accountant General, J&K.
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