Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal, Dec 24 : The authorities in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district evicted encroachers from around 60 kanal of forest land while 415 CFT’s timber and around 14 quintals of firewood have been seized this year.
As per the data available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the forest department has also seized three vehicles and lodged seven FIR’s in which 18 culprits were involved in different smuggling cases. Moreover, medicine plants of 16.62 qntls have also been seized.
According to officials Ganderbal has a low deforestation rate in Jammu and Kashmir.
This year Ganderbal forest department identified two locations for eco tourism which includes Chontwaliwar to Lalmarg and Akhal to Khudmarg to Baradimarg.
Owais Farooq Mir, DFO Sindh Forest Ganderbal told the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the city forest park, which is located on the banks of the Manasbal Lake, will have walking trails, cycle tracks, horse-riding facilities.
The project, which is spread across 2 km is offering the public an opportunity to try all rides .The entire project area has been divided into different blocks with different features and facilities in each part and work on the project is going on.
“In coming year, a plantation drive on around 400 hectares will be started,” Mir said, adding that wood is being sanctioned in door to door survey.
Spot verification is also being conducted in all forest blocks of Ganderbal which includes Chatergul, Wangath and Akhal while deserving households are getting timber, he said.
“I request public to cooperate with the department so that so that culprits can be booked under law and more and more afforestation programme will be started as forests are important for sustainable development,” Mir said—(KNO)
