Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for all efforts for massive aforestation, terming it important for the maintenance of ecology and natural beauty of the state.

Addressing a public gathering after laying the foundation of the Forest Awareness Centre at Shahdab Kareva at Zawoora in Shopian district today, the Chief Minister stressed the need for rejuvenating the green wealth and retrieving degraded forests. He said the erratic climate changes witnessed during the recent years were due to the heavy damage inflicted upon the rich forest wealth in the state.

“We have to go all out to launch an afforestation programme with enthusiasm and realise it successfully as a mission,” Omar said.

He added that the population living near the forests had the added responsibility of protecting and preserving the green cover.

The Chief Minister said forests not only maintained climate and ecology, but were also responsible for plenty of water that was important for the sustenance of an agro-based economy and food production.

Omar stressed the need for involving students from all over the state in the afforestation programme and awareness strategies. “This would not only inculcate in them the necessary love for bio-diversity of the state, but also help spread awareness among people regarding the importance of planting trees and protecting these for the posterity,” he said. He held that during his school days, regular plantation drives by the students were an important feature and he himself had planted more than 50 saplings as a student.

The Chief Minister said with the opening of the historic Mughal Road, Shopian would become an important tourist station, and as such there was an urgent need to make the surroundings of this area attractive for tourists.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Forests Mian Altaf Ahmad said 15,000 saplings of conifer, kail, deodar etc., would be planted on 32 hectares of degraded forests adjacent to the awareness centre in the first phase. He added measures were afoot to safeguard the plant wealth and rejuvenate the depleted forests.

Mian Altaf said the Forest Department provided over 12 lakh cubic feet of timber to the people annually to accommodate the needs for the construction of houses and repairs. “In order to reduce pressure and keep imported timber available in the market, the department would encourage the import of timber,” he added.