Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 24: The Mayor Jammu, Rajinder Sharma today launched plant distribution campaign in Jammu City today under Green JK initiative of the J&K Forest Department by flagging of the mobile vans from Forest Information Centre, Bikram Chowk, carrying plants of different fruit and ornamental species for distributing the same amongst the people of Jammu City.
During the campaign, all the wards of the Municipal Corporation of Jammu will be covered and provided good plant species for plantation.
The aim of the initiative is to Green and Clean Jammu. He appealed to the people to plant trees in their houses, strips, public parks and to protect them. He informed that the JMC has operationalized “The Tree Authority” for the plantation and protection of trees in the Jammu Municipal Corporation. He emphasized that the JMC and the Forest Department have to work in close tandem to make Jammu green and pollution free.
Earlier, the event started by planting a ceremonial plant by the Mayor and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force in the premises of the Forest Information Centre, Bikram Chowk.
A Green March comprising staff of the Forest Department was also taken out from Forest Resource Management Centre, Narwal to Forest Information Centre through Gorkha Nagar, Panama Chowk, Bahu Plaza and Gandhi Nagar. The participants were raising slogans like “Paed Lago Beti Ke Naam”, “Each one plant one, Make Jammu Green and Pollution free”. The aim of the Green march was to make people aware about the importance of planting and protecting trees especially in the present scenario.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force, J&K Roshan Jaggi informed that emphasis shall be laid on planting trees on the strips, along Nallahas and Public Parks in all the Municipal wards of the Jammu Municipal Corporation. He advised that all Mohalla committees/Housing board/JDA Colonies in all the Wards shall have to play an important role in identifying the strips, land along nallahas, public parks in associations with the staff of the Forest Department for plantations.
He also appealed to the public to plant trees where the land is available and protect them. He also stressed that all the Councilors shall have to identifying the suitable lands in their wards in association with the staff of Department and JMC for planting trees.
On the occasion, ornamental & fruit plants were also distributed by the Mayor to the general public.It is pertinent to mention here that the Department has advertised dates for distribution of plants through electronic and print media in different localities with prominent places for distribution of plants to the people for plantation during the current Monsoon season.
The others who graced the occasion include B.M.Sharma, IFS APCCF, Jammu, Rakesh Gupta, JKAS, Jt. Commissioner, JMC, Jammu Mohinder Kumar Gupta, Regional Director, Social Forestry Department, Jammu, Alok Kr. Maurya, IFS, DFO, Social Forestry Division, Jammu, Sunil Singh, DFO, Urban Forestry Division, Jammu, Range Officers, staff of Forest and its allied wings and general public.