Ganderbal, Mar 23: Central University of Kashmir (CUK) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir Tuesday kick-started weeklong plantation drive at the varsity’s designated Tulmulla campus here by planting a sapling in the compound of the Department of Law.
Regional Director, Social Forestry, Kashmir, Mr. Mehraj ud Din Malik, Forest Officer Sindh Division, Mr. Owais Farooq Mir, Social Forestry Srinagar, DFO, Mr. Tanveer, CUK Registrar, Prof. M Afzal Zargar, Campus Director, Prof. (Dr. Shahid Rasool), Deans of Schools, senior functionaries of the varsity were also present during the event organized by the varsity’s Department of Landscape Development, in collaboration with the Directorate of Students Welfare, School of Education, Department of Social Forestry Kashmir and Sindh Forest Division Ganderbal.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir highlighted the importance of flora for the survival of living beings on earth. He quoted several religious scriptures and sayings of saints, underscoring the need of planting saplings, not only in the university premises, but across the Jammu and Kashmir, for the betterment of the future generations. He asked the officials of the Forest department to support the university authorities in its endeavor to develop green campuses.
Addressing the gathering, Registrar, Prof. M Afzal Zargar, who also planted a sapling, said that unabated felling of trees and rising pollution, has caused extensive damage to the environment. “Natural disasters across the world are due to environmental degradation and deforestation,” he said while quoting the recent flash floods at Uttarakhand.
After planting a sapling, Regional Director, Social Forestry, Kashmir, Mr. Mehraj ud Din Malik, said, the plantation is imperative to maintain the ecological balance and to address the endemic environmental issues, confronted by Jammu and Kashmir at present. He said that his department has launched massive afforestation campaigns across the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir in order to check the growing environmental pollution and undo the damage done due to the continuous felling of trees by vested interests.
Forest Officer Sindh Division, Mr. Owais Farooq Mir, while addressing the student volunteers and senior functionaries of the university, asked them to make the drive a huge success and urged them to nurture the planted saplings continuously. “Your job doesn’t end by planting saplings, but it starts with that, and you have to continuously monitor and check its growth and development,” he added. He said the department was working tirelessly to reclaim the lost forest cover in Jammu and Kashmir.
In charge Department of Landscape Development, CUK, Dr. Mohammad Lateef, conducted the programme proceedings and spelt out the objectives of holding such a drive. He said that successive plantation drives organised earlier in all the four campuses of the university in Ganderbal district have been successful.
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