Qazigund, Mar 14: The Social Forestry Division of Anantnag and Kulgam in the Qazigund range on Thursday started a plantation drive with an institutional plantation – the planting of native plants in government institutions to beautify and green the area.
Towseef Ahmad Khanday, Block Officer of Social Forestry Range Qazigund, told Rising Kashmir that they are striving to plant as many trees as possible. He said the department has several components under social forestry concerning tree plantation.
“We started the plantation drive in our range with an institutional plantation, involving locals and the auqaf committee to plant trees in the graveyard and other areas, aiming to move towards a greener environment,” he said.
Khanday said deodar, cuprous and other saplings were planted. “The aim is to greenify the areas with plantation and ensure the utilization of most of the barren land,” he said, adding that the drive will continue and more open lands will be included in the plantation drive in the coming days.
Suhaib Aziz, a local youth, said the plantation drive in the area is a welcome step and it will help them breathe fresh air in the habitation later on. “The department should hold more such drives, and we can jointly ensure to protect our environment by planting as many trees as we can in the season,” he added.
