Forest department holds public darbar at Lolab Kupwara

KUPWARA : With an aim to listen to the concerns and demands of local residents and members of Tribal communities, a Forest Public Darbar was convened today at the Forest Rest House, Sogam Lolab.
The session was attended by MLA Lolab, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone and Conservator of Forests, North Circle, Irfan Ali Shah, and witnessed the participation of forest officials, representatives of the civil administration, and community members.
During the public interaction, the Conservator of Forests (CoF), North Circle, highlighted that over the past three years, significant progress has been made in restoring degraded forest areas, enhancing local livelihoods, and promoting eco-tourism in Lolab and Machil.
He informed that 310 hectares of forest land have been restored, with 2.2 lakh saplings planted and 1.6 lakh saplings distributed free of cost among locals. Additionally, 81,000 grass slips were sown for pasture development. To support grazing communities, the department provided 6,000 quintals of free fodder.
As part of livelihood enhancement measures, 10 potter wheels, 48 sewing machines, and 10 wood carving kits were distributed among trained locals. He emphasized that special attention has been given to women Self-Help Groups and unemployed youth through targeted skill development initiatives.
Later CoF held an interactive session with members of the Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) and local tribal communities, addressing their concerns and discussing collaborative conservation efforts.
Among others, the forest darbar was attended by Divisional Forest officer Kamraj Forest Division; SDM Lolab, SDPO Sogam, DFO Social Forestry, Deputy Director Forest Protection Force, Kupwara, DSCO Kupwara, all Range officers of Kupwara and Forest Protection Force personnel.