Activities Of The Department

1. Establishment of Nurseries: The Department has established nurseries in all the Tehsil/Districts of the State excepting Kargil & Leh. In Nurseries improved and better quality planting material is raised in abundance to meet the requirement. From these nurseries apart from meeting the requirement of various plantation schemes undertaken by the Department, the plants are also supplied to the farmers, Govt. agencies on nominal rates. Technical knowhow is also imparted to the desirous farmers/public about raising, planting and maintenance.
   
2. Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests: Nearly half of the area under forests in the State is degraded. The degraded forest lands are rehabilitated through natural regeneration and afforestation, in order to meet the widening gap between demand and supply of forest produce and to increase forest cover.
   
3. Village Wood Lots: To raise trees and grasses on the community wastelands with the assistance of local communities for their benefit under Joint Forest Management through Village Panchayat (Plantation) Committees. It helps meeting the multifarious requirements of the people for small timber, fuel-wood, fodder, grasses and fruits & at the same time, it reduces dependence and pressure on the natural forests.
4. Strip Plantations: Strip Plantations are raised along the roads, railway lines, canal sides and river banks to minimize the pollution hazards and enhance the aesthetic beauty of the areas
5. Institutional Plantation: Under this component, the areas available with Government Institutions like Schools, Colleges, Universities, Government Offices, Army and Police Camps are covered by plantations of suitable ornamental and useful trees.

This way the Department of Social Forestry is creating the desired level of awareness among the people about the significance and importance of planting trees.

The Department of Social Forestry helps to induce community for creating, maintaining and protecting the plantations in the contemplated Joint Management Programme. The community participation under JFM had been the central theme for the Social Forestry and as per the recent Govt. Orders the afforestation works (on feasible areas) are to be carried out through Panchayats (VPPCs).

Brief of services (direct/indirect) being provided :

1. To provide fuel wood, small timber, fodder,   grasses   & other minor forest products in shortest possible time to meet basic requirement of the rural people.
2. To undertake development of degraded forest land, waste lands and common lands .
3. To provide plants to people at nominal rates to increase tree cover outside the forests.
4. To provide specialized technical know-how in the field of the agro forestry and tree planting.
5. To provide employment to locals by engaging them in plantation initiatives taken up under various Schemes/ Components.
6. Upliftment of socio-economic conditions of farmers.

 

The Divisional Heads are wholly responsible for execution of all afforestation & other works of the department in their jurisdiction under the control & technical guidance of Regional Heads in a grand supervision & command of Director of the Department (HoD), however the issues/cases which lie beyond the competence of the Director are referred/guided to/by the Administrative Department (Forests).

NOTE: The respective Divisional Forest Officers / Range Officers & Block Officers of the Department can be visited/approached for getting plants on nominal rates and to obtain other technical guidance & services.