Move to make Punjab clean, green and pollution free

by Punjabnewswire4u (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 27

In a bid to make Punjab clean, green and pollution free, Forest Research Institute (FRI) Dehradun has assured all technical support and assistance to the state Forests Department for undertaking plantation drive across the state.    

Disclosing this here today Financial Commissioner (Forests) Mr Dhanbir Singh Bains said that this assurance was given by Director, FRI Mr PP Bhojvaid and Director General, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Dehradun Mr VK Bahuguna during a meeting at Dehrdun, last week. It may be recalled that Mr Bains was deputed by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal to visit FRI for chalking out a detailed action plan for the massive plantation drive.

Mr Bains further said that the senior officers of the FRI emphasised the need for the preparation of seed orchards of good quality genetic material for producing high quality plants during a detailed presentation. They also laid thrust on how best genetic material could be prepared out of clonal nurseries. Seven to eight lac plants, which get ready in about 60-65 days, could be prepared in a nursery, twice a year. They further asked the senior officers of Punjab to visit the clonal nursery set up by the Haryana government at Seonthi, Kurukshetra as per the recommendations of FRI.  

During the deliberations, the FRI officials recommended as many as 14 tree species to be planted in the state viz. Shisham, Encalyptus (Safeda), Poplar, Melia (Dek), Acacia (Kikar), Bael, Suhanjana, White Albizia (Chitta Siris), Black Albizia (Kaala Siris), Mulberry (Shehtoot), Toon (Tun), Zizyphus (Ber), Peepal (Pippal) and Neem (Nim).

Mr Bains informed that the Punjab Forest Department had six to seven clonal nurseries at the moment. It was also observed that the plants produced in the clonal nurseries have a better survival rate as well as a better Root-Shoot ratio than the normal plants. Besides these, medicinal plants such as Gooseberry (Amla) may also be planted in Punjab.

Meanwhile Director, FRI Mr PP Bhojvaid assured the Punjab Government that FRI would design orientation course for the officers and forest guards from Punjab in which they would be imparted basic training to plant forest tree saplings, new techniques in Farm Forestry, management of insects and diseases besides equipping them to raise Clonal Nurseries.

FRI also suggested that a research campus of 2.5-3 acre area may be set up on the National Highway No. 1 in which training, research and development works as per the local needs of different areas of Punjab may be taken up on ongoing basis under the guidance of FRI. The production centre of this research campus (institute) would consist of nurseries of the Punjab Forest Department and the areas taken on lease from the farmers. Director, FRI also observed that after the expected success of farm forestry in Punjab, a lot of timber would become available in Punjab.

Dwelling on the concept of agro-forestry to improve the economic lot of the farmers of the state, FRI asked the Punjab government to complete a value chain in terms of Nursery/ farm forestry and industry so that the farmers could link up with nurseries to maximise their income. FRI team also observed that if the forest area in Punjab was increased to 15% it would automatically increase carbon sequestration levels and a benefit could be drawn by claiming Carbon Credits. Mr Bains further said that Mr Bhojvaid would call on the Chief Minister on June 29 to give him a detailed presentation about the concept and scope of agro-forestry in the state, besides the proposed plantation drive ‘Greening Punjab Campaign’.