Srinagar April 10 (KNS): The Conservator of Forests (CoF) North Forest Circle, Irfan Ali Shah reviewed working of Forest Department in Kehmil Forest Division, deliverance of Government work and the targets set for the current financial year in a meeting held at North Forest Headquarters at Sopore.

The CoF interacted at length with the Senior Forest Officers and Forest officials on various Deliverables, schemes and Government programs in forestry sector including Green J&K Drive, Green India Mission, Har Gaon Hariyali, Non Timber Forest Products policy implementation, livelihood and income generation projects, Forests for recreation, fodder, livelihood, development of eco-tourism etc.

The CoF said Green India mission is one of the missions that come under the umbrella of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Every country has an obligation to arrest the downward spiral of climate change. Hence, India as a responsible growing global power took up the responsibility of reducing the deleterious effects of climate change by launching different missions under NAPCC.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Accordingly, Green India Mission was launched in Kehmil Forest Division in the year 2019-2020 to protect, restore and enhance quality of forest cover in district Kupwara. He said our focus in Kehmil Forest Division Kupwara is to increase the quality of degraded moderately dense forests and to ecologically restore open forests which have suffered degradation here due to different reasons.

He added that Ecotourism in border areas of Karnah and Keran will be one of his focus areas and as a way to generate livelihoods for youth and to generate revenue for the Government.

The meeting among others was attended by Faisal Farooq, Divisional Forest Officer, Kehmil Forest Division, Javid Ahmad Chopan, (RO Ramhall), Shafiq Ahmad Wani, (RO Naihari), Manzoor Ahmad Malik (RO Keran), Khurshid Alam RO Karnah, Bibi Nigaar (RO W.P.) and Forest officials of North Forests Circle.(KNS)