BARAMULLA, APRIL 17: The Conservator of Forests (CoF), Kashmir North Forest Circle, Irfan Ali Shah (IFS), today conducted a comprehensive review of the Forest Department’s performance in the Jhelum Valley (JV) Forest Division, Baramulla. The meeting, held at the North Forest Headquarters in Mazbugh, centered around the Department’s ongoing initiatives, deliverables, and roadmap for achieving targets for the current financial year.
Focusing on eco-tourism, Shah directed officials to explore potential sites for eco-tourism development, particularly in the border areas of Uri and Boniyar, which offer significant opportunities for livelihood generation and revenue creation. Popular waterfall sites like Namblan, Shrunz, Noorkhah, and Nambla, along with religious sites such as Baba Farid Shrine, Dutta Temple, and Chatti Patshahi Gurdwara, were identified as potential attractions to be developed for eco-tourism and pilgrim tourism respectively.
The CoF also reviewed the functioning of Van Dhan Kendras (VDKs) and the Walnut Processing Unit set up by the Forest Department in Baramulla town. He described them as successful models for women empowerment, gender balance, and livelihood generation. VDKs play a crucial role in women’s financial empowerment by providing income-generating opportunities and enhancing their role in the local economy.
He said Van Dhan Kendras, established under the Van Dhan Yojana, hold significant scope for livelihood and employment generation, particularly for tribal communities residing in forest-rich areas of Baramulla. This scheme, implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), aims to empower tribal gatherers and artisans by promoting value addition to Minor Forest Produce (MFP).
The primary focus of VDKs is to facilitate primary processing and value addition of MFPs. This includes various activities that generate direct employment for locals, especially tribal communities, he added. The CoF directed officers to set up multiple VDKs in Boniyar, Doabgah, and Uri areas, which can then be grouped into Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs). He also called for exploring the incorporation of potential medicinal plants and high-value edible mushrooms in VDKs to create more livelihood opportunities for tribal communities and other local people of District Baramulla.
The meeting was attended by Satyendra Maurya, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Jhelum Valley Forest Division Baramulla; Rameez Raja, Range Officer Baramulla; Shams-u-Haq, Range Officer Boniyar; Aijaz Ahmad Toota, Range Officer Uri; Mohammad Maqbool Mir, Range Officer Doabgah; Parveena Bano, Range Officer SC Range; and other senior forest staff from the JV Division Office and North Forest Circle Headquarters.