‘Plans to open 75 trekking routes’

PAMPORE: Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), Dr. Mohit Gera on Thursday visited Gosainnard Ladhoo forest area of Pampore site where he opened a trekking route from Gosainnard to Wasturwan forests.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests T. Rabi Kumar, Conservator Forests Kashmir south Circle Irfan Ali Shah, DFO Awantipora, Mehraj Ud Din, Environmental Lawyer J&K high court Nadeem Qadri, Ranger Pampore Farooq Ahmad, SDPO Pampore ,Mir Imtiyaz Ahmad, Pro GDC Pampore Shah Lateef and other officials accompanied him.
Forest employees, field staff, Go Green Voluntaries, local representatives and youths also present on the occasion.
During the occasion, a group of students from government degree college Pampore were flagged off to trek on the route by the officials.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dr. Mohit Gera took details of the trekking route from Conservator south circle Irfan Ali Shah, DFO Awantipora Mehraj Ud Din and Adv Nadeem Qadri.
He was informed that this route is known as the valley view trekking route which starts from Gosannar to Wasturwan and will cover a distance of 4 kilometers.
“Taking to Kashmir Reader at Gusainard, Principal chief Conservator of Forests Dr Mohit Gera said that the forests department supplements to tourism department by ecotourism, we develop pristine sites in our forests for local tourism,” Principal Chief Conservator of forests, Dr Mohit Gera said, adding that they use locally available materials for basic infrastructure.
He said that they developed paths, gates, benches and forest huts.
” Our target is to open 75 trekking routes out of which 55 have been opened, in South circle we plan to open 18 trekking routes, this is 9th,” he said, adding it was supposed to be thrown open next year but the concerned Range opened it ahead of schedule.
” I am happy and appreciate additional Principal Chief Conservator Irfan Ali Shah, DFO Awantipora Mehraj Ud Din, Ranger officer Pampore Farooq Ahmad, other employees and Adv Nadeem Qadri who runs a number of projects in Pampore,” he said.
He told Kashmir Reader that the idea is to involve local youth including students and local NGOs so that it is being used up and with word of mouth it will scale up.
He said that this will help the forest department in conservation.
He said that by trekking the route the youth of the area will get a chance to know the fauna and flora.
” The trekkers will know about the wildlife, fauna and flora, they will talk about it and it will send a message across,” he said.
Meanwhile, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), Dr. Mohit Gera also kick started tree plantation drive forest by planting saplings on the occasion at Gusainard.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests T. Rabi Kumar, Conservator Forests Kashmir south Circle Irfan Ali Shah, DFO Awantipora, Mehraj Ud Din, Environmental Lawyer J&K high court Nadeem Qadri, Ranger, SDPO Pampore ,Mir Imtiyaz Ahmad also planting a saplings in the tracking route.

BILAL HABIB