Sarpanch Devak, Bodh Raj Sharma, Panch Romesh Sharma, members of Biodiversity management committee and a number of locals actively participated in the planting of different species of plants in the premises of Government Higher Secondary School Devak.
“One Beat Guard One Village” program was conducted by Dinesh Kumar, Beat Guard Devak of Sunderbani Forest Range. Medicinal, fodder and timber plants, besides seed balls of grass, fruit and bamboo were also distributed among the participants.
Plantation drive was held in collaboration with staff of the Government Higher Secondary School Devak, in which Lecture Rattan Lal, Lecture Sanjit Kumar, Master Madan Lal, other staff and School Children participated.
The People overwhelmingly welcomed this innovative step of the forest department. They said, it is the first time the forest department came to provide the planting material at their door steps. They will care for the plants as well as forests of adjoining areas. This step will create a bond between villagers and the forest department.
Meanwhile, social workers Pt. Ganesh Kumar, Sukhchain Singh, Ashok Kumar and Sujan Singh suggested that the forest department should start similar plantation drives along with distribution of plants to locals in other forest fringe villages of this hilly region also for maintaining green cover of the area. Block Forest officer Devak Rajinder Dev, along with other field staff of Devak block organized the whole process of plantation drive.
Similar plantation drive was also held in Dharamsal block which was conducted by Krishan Lal, Beat Guard at village Renthal of Kotekabu Panchayat. Sarpanch Om Parkash along with other PRI members, members of BMC and a large number of local people participated in plantation drives of different species of plants on common land and private land. Besides plantation, seed balls and plants of various species of fruit, timber, medicinal and fodder were also distributed among the local inhabitants.
Third plantation drive was held in village Brevi in which Naib Sarpanch, Om Parkash Sharma, Panch, Kasturi Lal along with other PRI members, members of BMC and a large number of local people participated.
The drives were conducted in the close supervision of Sh. B Mohan Dass (IFS) Conservator of Forests West circle Rajouri Suresh Manda Divisional Forest Officer Nowshera and Rakesh Verma Range Officer Sunderbani.
