JK News Today
KATRA, JUNE 17:
Besides focussing on continuously enlarging and improving facilities for the visiting pilgrims, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has been devoting high attention to conserve the environment and ecology and carry out the greening of Trikuta Hills and the spaces along the tracks leading to the Shrine.
In this context, Mr. Ramesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, comprehensively reviewed the various activities undertaken under the Annual Greening Plan of the Board at a meeting held here today. While taking stock of the plantation activities being carried out during the current financial year, it was informed that the Board is bringing another 100 hectares area under green cover by planting 1.10 lakh saplings including forest, horticultural, medicinal, soil binders and seasonal flowering seedlings during the period. In addition, 55 km fire lines have been created and 10 water harvesting structures being constructed during the period. As many as 1.20 lakh plants are being produced this year from the hi-tech nursery established by the Shrine Board at Kunia near Panthal to in-house meet the planting stock requirements of the Board.
Mr. Ramesh Kumar laid emphasis on planting of indigenous varieties of plants which are hardy, provide shade and are compatible with the local climatic conditions alongside taking up plantation of fruit bearing and other species. He underscored the need for planting ornamental plants, herbs, aromatic plants, flowering and avenue trees on the Tarakote Marg and in the Bhawan area, to begin with, to further enhance ambience of the track while covering the remaining tracks in a phased manner for which a comprehensive plan should be formulated. He asked for carrying out timely execution of the plantation activities during the ensuing rainy season and side by side taking all requisite steps to prevent forest fires during the ongoing summer season.
The meeting, which was attended by Mr. Vivek Verma, Additional CEO; Mr. Vinay Khajuria, ACF and other concerned officers of the Shrine Board, also discussed, interalia, the modalities for Geo-mapping of the entire Shrine area to monitor all greening activities by adopting latest technologies besides conducting of flora and fauna census in the Shrine area.
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