Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Jan 21: Focussing on continuously enlarging and improving facilities for the visiting pilgrims, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has been devoting high attention to conserve the environment and ecology and carry out the greening of Trikuta Hills and the spaces along the tracks leading to the Shrine.
In this context, a meeting was held today under the chairmanship of Ramesh Kumar- Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to review plantation activities and various fruit plants of seedling origin supplied by the Horticulture Department of J&K to Shrine Board with the aim to explore the possibilities for planting more such plants in the vicinity of Shrine Forest area in the coming years.
Ram Savak, Director Horticulture, Jammu ; Brij Vallabh Gupta, Chief Horticulture Officer, Reasi & Vinay Khajuria, ACF SMVDSB attended the meeting.
While taking stock of the fruit plants received from the Horticulture Department, CEO was informed that fruit bearing species are being planted in Serli Forest area of Shrine Board, whereas, CEO proposed to identify species of fruit bearing plants seedlings to be planted in Bhairon, Sanjichhat, and Natali areas during the winter.
The Director Horticulture assured to provide more such high yielding seedlings like Mango, Guava, Lichi, Peach, Orange etc during the ongoing winter plantation and also assured to provide more high density seedlings during ensuing summers.
CEO was also informed about the creation of the Mother Plant area in Kunia Nursery to be created for fruit bearing species like Mango, Lichi (Muzaffarpur), Guava etc in about two hectare area in Phase-II of Nursery.
Further, the Director Horticulture also assured to provide plantation techniques of Horticulture species to Shrine Board Forest Wing Staff at Kunia Nursery.
The CEO laid emphasis on planting high density varieties of plants which give fruits of good quality and compatible with the local climatic conditions. He underscored the need for planting fruit bearing plants to minimize the monkey menace. He asked for carrying out timely execution of the plantation activities during the ensuing months and side by side taking all requisite steps to increase the green cover of the Trikuta Hills.
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