Budgam: Around 50 doctors from SKIMS Medical College participated in the third phase of the plantation drive under the ‘One Million Trees for Pir Panjal’ campaign in Budgam on Saturday.
The plantation drive was carried out at Sochalpathri–Mujpathri in the Raithan Range of the Pir Panjal Division.
The doctors, led by Professor Dr. Ashfaq Bhat, Head of the Department of Community Medicine at SKIMS Medical College, joined the campaign as part of efforts to promote ecological restoration and climate resilience in the Pir Panjal region.
The ‘One Million Trees for Pir Panjal’ campaign aims to restore the fragile ecosystem of the Pir Panjal landscape through afforestation and community participation.
The organisers said the campaign seeks not only to increase green cover but also to promote long-term ecological revival in the region.
The plantation drive was organised by the School for Rural Development and Environment (SRDE) in collaboration with the Forest Department, J&K, the Nature Conservancy Alliance and the Trekking Club of SKIMS Medical College.
The organisers said the participation of doctors and other professionals reflected the growing awareness that environmental health and human well-being are closely linked.
They also thanked the Forest Department for its support in conducting the drive.
Special appreciation was expressed for Divisional Forest Officer Pir Panjal, Syed Waseem, and Chief Conservator of Forests Kashmir, Irfan Rasool, for their support and guidance.
Among those present on the occasion were Professor Dr. Ashfaq Bhat, climate justice activist and SRDE founder Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, SDPO Khansahib Saqib Gani, Range Officer Raithan Gh. Rasool, SKIMS Trekking Club Coordinator Dr. Sarjeel Wani and former sarpanch Hanefa Bano.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool said such initiatives are not limited to plantation drives but represent a collective effort towards ecological balance, climate action and sustainable development.
He said the campaign also aims to raise awareness about the need to conserve the ecologically sensitive Pir Panjal region.
The organisers said the ‘One Million Trees for Pir Panjal’ campaign is gradually emerging as a people’s movement and appealed to citizens, institutions and policymakers to support the initiative.
