Srinagar, March 20: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said it has outlined various measures to minimise deforestation in Marh Constituency.
In a reply provided in the assembly, the government said that the Forest Department has deployed two field staff members to monitor and prevent deforestation in the constituency’s 4-hectare reserve forest area, which falls under the Seri beat of the Munawar block in Jammu Forest Range. The services of the Forest Protection Force are sought when necessary to strengthen protection efforts, it added.
To further safeguard forest cover, the department’s Minor Forest Produce (MFP) division said it has established a 5-hectare unit at Rajpura Mandi, which is regularly patrolled by two forest personnel to prevent illegal activities.
Afforestation initiatives are being implemented to counter the negative impact of deforestation, with strict monitoring to ensure the protection and maintenance of newly planted areas, it said
As part of compensatory afforestation efforts, the department said it is organising plantation programs in collaboration with local communities, schools, NGOs, and Village Panchayat Plantation Committees (VPPCs), the government said, adding that these programmes aim to expand green cover and address climate change concerns.
The Forest, Ecology & Environment Department, through the Directorate of Social Forestry, has carried out extensive afforestation efforts in Marh Constituency over the past three years.
A total of 20,100 saplings have been planted and distributed, with 6,800 planted in 2022-23, 3,475 in 2023-24, and 9,825 in 2024-25, the government said.
