GANDERBAL: 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, 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 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 works on the project is going on.
“In the coming year, a plantation drive on around 400 hectares will be started,” Mir said, adding that wood is being sanctioned indoor to door survey.
Spot verification is also being conducted in all forest blocks of Ganderbal which include Chatergul, Wangath and Akhal while deserving households are getting timber, he said.
“I request the public to cooperate with the department so that so that culprits can be booked under the law and more and more afforestation programme will be started as forests are important for sustainable development,” Mir said—(KNO)
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