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Himachal forms 4.80 percent of India’s forests
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh constitutes 4.80 percent of India’s total forests and the state’s cover has swelled by over 2,900 sq km in 24 years due to plantation programmes, an official said on Monday.
Out of the total geographic area of 55,673 sq km in the state, the forest comprises 37,033 sq km, which is 4.80 percent of the total forests in the country, an official of the state forest department said.
Quoting the latest Forest Survey of India report of 2013, he said the state had 14,683 sq km under green cover which was only 11,780 sq km in 1991.
He said plantation has been carried out on 29,745 hectares in the past two fiscals.
Saplings of broader leaves, wild fruit-bearing and medicinal plants are being given special priority during plantation drives.
To further expand the green cover, the state government has fixed a target of bringing 8,712.45 hectares of additional area under forests in this fiscal by spending Rs.45 crore.
The forest department aims to plant 100,000 saplings of “shahtoot”, “jamun”, “saru”, “shisham”, “spheda”, “pipal”, “deodar” and “neem” alongside roads constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna.
Workers under MGNREGS will be involved in the project.
In addition to this, he said, 45 lakh medicinal plants would also be planted.
Forest ponds have immense importance in maintaining the land humidity besides being helpful in extinguishing forest fires.
The ponds are associated with the livelihood of rural communities and catering to the water needs of wild animals.
A total of 100 forest ponds are being constructed during this fiscal whereas 405 ponds have been constructed across the state.
Foreign-aided projects are being effectively implemented in the state as well.
The World Bank-aided Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project’s amount has been enhanced from Rs.365 crore to Rs.630.76 crore and the term period has also been extended till March 2016.
The project is being implemented in 710 panchayats after bringing in 102 new panchayats under it. A total of Rs.60 crore is being spent during this fiscal in these panchayats.
The Himachal Pradesh Forest Eco-System Climate Proofing, a German Development Bank project of Rs.310 crore, has started recently in the Kangra and Chamba districts.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed for a grant of two million Euros under this project and the amount would be utilised on forest officials’ training programmes and development of local communities.
Likewise, the government has submitted the Forest Eco-system Management and Livelihood Project to the Japanese International Cooperation Agency for obtaining financial assistance.
The Rs.1,507 crore project would be implemented in 10 out of 12 districts.
The hill state is aptly called home to rich flora. The survey say out of the country’s total 45,000 flora species the state holds 3,295 species or 7.32 percent.
Ninety-five percent of the species are endemic to the state and characteristic of western Himalayan flora, while the remaining (150 species) are exotic, introduced in the last 150 years.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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