KATRA: A meeting was held today at Spiritual Growth Centre, Katra to review the management of forest area under the Shrine chaired by Sanjeev Verma, Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment. Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB; Dr. T. S. Ashok, Director, Soil and Water Conservation; Navneet Singh, Addl. Chief Executive Officer, Regional Director, Social Forestry, Joint. Director, Soil Conservation; Ajay Salaan, Asst. Chief Executive Officer; Vinay Khajuria, ACF SMVDSB and other officers from the State Forest Department attended the meeting.
CEO, SMVDSB informed that 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 addition, a large-scale afforestation being undertaken by the Shrine Board under its Greening Action Plan, the Board’s forest wing is also enforcing varied measures to effectively prevent forest fires, as per scientifically approved practices which include creation of fire lines, removal of lantana weed from the affected areas and ensuring strict vigil on the ground during the potential fire season by deploying a sufficient number of fire watchers in the sensitive sectors.
Besides, a multi pronged approach has been adopted by Forest Wing of Shrine Board for proper water management and promotion of water conservation through various activities and campaigns which includes construction of water harvesting ponds, DRSM (Dry Rubble Stone Masonry) and construction of vegetative check dam on Trikuta Hills slopes which is helping in recharging ground water and also serving as a feeding point for wildlife. Every year, the Shrine Forest wing has a target of more than 1.25 lakh quality seedlings to be planted.
The hi-tech Nursery established by the Shrine Board at Kunia, Panthal produces 2.00 lakh quality plants of varied species to meet the requirement of Annual Greening Plan. During the past 10 years 13.46 lakh plants have been planted by the Board as part of Greening of Trikuta Hills.
CEO, SMVDSB also informed that as per the previous meeting held with Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (HoFF), under fire management plan 81 temporary fire watchers will be deployed on vulnerable areas and 55 kms of temporary fire line will be maintained. In addition, a pine needle briquettes machine will be procured shortly for the collection of pine needles for its appropriate disposal.
Commissioner Secretary emphasised Shrine Board to further increase the plant production at its nurseries which will also meet out the future requirement of State Forest Department.Besides, directed Department of soil and water conservation to prepare a holistic plan to conserve and improve the catchment area of Jajjar kotli khad. It was advised that the said plan shall be formulated as per watershed basis with major emphasis on the interventions to be planned in the left ridge of the catchment area which has been degraded,fragmented, gullied due to high rate of soil erosion in the major drainage lines of the catchment which is seen on ground.
Approximately 150 to 200 hac of catchment area needs to be treated through major soil and water conservation measures like gully plugging,drsm wall,crib structures ,check dams at vulnerable areas along and across the minor and major gullies of the drainages. It was advised that the said area shall be surveyed,then mapped as per watershed code and after proper ground survey the holistic plan shall be formulated.
Directions are imparted to other wings like dfo reasi,social forestry department to provide cooperation to the soil and water conservation deptt in preparation of the said plan. The Commissioner Secretary desired that social forestry through DFO social forestry udhampur /reasi shall prepare land banks along the fringe areas of forest .
The said land banks be further divided into state land,community land,kacharai and pvt land through technological means and ground truthing so that a clear picture regarding the availability of land for social forestry activities like woodlot formation,block plantation units and agro forestry units can be planned in future.