Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Estimates on Tuesday directed the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department to expedite replantation on land diverted for highway and infrastructure projects and undertake scientific afforestation in deforested and landslide-prone areas across the Union Territory.
The directions were issued at a meeting chaired by Committee Chairman Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi) to examine the Action Taken Report submitted by the department on issues concerning forest conservation, community rights and infrastructure.
The committee asked the department to expedite replantation on land diverted for National Highways, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Public Works Department (PWD) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects. It also called for a plantation drive in deforested areas and scientific afforestation on vulnerable slopes to address soil erosion and landslides during rains.
Gurezi also directed the department to phase out Russian poplar in a time-bound manner, citing concerns over its alleged impact on local biodiversity and health, and replace it with indigenous species such as Chinar, Deodar and Kail.
On community rights, the committee called for sustainable utilisation of forest resources, action against illegal smuggling of poplar, deodar and pine, and measures to ensure that benefits reach local communities and tribal families under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
The committee also reviewed the condition of deteriorated trees at major tourist destinations, including Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Yusmarg, and directed immediate replantation. It called for stronger measures to curb poaching and address man-animal conflict.
The chairman further directed the holding of Gram Sabhas in all constituencies across J&K and asked the Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment Department, to finalise comprehensive guidelines for Panchayat-level Gram Sabhas to facilitate public participation in forest conservation and sustainable utilisation of resources.
Members of the committee who attended the meeting included Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ali Mohammad Dar, Javid Hassan Baig, Mushtaq Guroo, Irshad Rasool Kar, Sajad Shaheen and Pyare Lal Sharma.
Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Sheetal Nanda; Commissioner Secretary, Tribal Affairs, G. Prasanna Ramaswamy; senior officers of the Forest, Wildlife, Roads and Buildings, PMGSY, PWD, Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Irrigation and Flood Control departments, along with officials from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat, attended the meeting.