JAMMU, May 15: In a significant stride towards ecological renaissance and sustainable forest management, a highly instructive workshop and demo-cum-lecture on the eradication of the invasive species Lantana camara was conducted at village Durui of District Samba, under the aegis of the Jammu East Circle, State Forest Department, in close collaboration with the Chinar Eco Warriors, Forest Officals from Samba and Billawar Block. The event brought together officers of the Forest Department, Environmental Task Force (ETF) and allied stakeholders engaged in conservation and afforestation endeavours across the region.
The focal point of the workshop was the practical demonstration of the scientifically acclaimed Cut Root-Stock (CRS) Method, an economical yet remarkably efficacious technique for the systematic removal of lantana without reliance on heavy mechanical intervention. Widely acknowledged in ecological restoration projects across India, the CRS methodology facilitates the reclamation of degraded forest landscapes and fosters the resurgence of indigenous vegetative biodiversity.
The keynote address was delivered by Pradeepchandra P. Wahule, IFS, Conservator of Forests, who expounded with scholarly precision upon the pernicious ramifications of unchecked lantana proliferation.
He elucidated how delayed eradication of the invasive shrub precipitates suppression of native flora, diminishes ecological carrying capacity, impedes natural regeneration, and gravely jeopardises wildlife habitats and forest sustainability. His discourse sensitised ETF personnel and Forest Officials to the strategic imperatives of timely intervention and scientific management practices indispensable for preserving fragile forest ecosystems.
During the course of the visit, the Conservator of Forests also undertook a meticulous inspection of nursery and plantation works executed under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) during the preceding year, with particular emphasis on evaluating growth dynamics, survivability indices, and ecological viability of the afforestation undertaken. The Conservator profoundly appreciated the visionary efforts of the DFOs and Chinar Eco Warriors in integrating indigenous medicinal, heritage, and ecologically resilient plant species into afforestation projects.
Such initiatives, besides restoring ecological equilibrium and conserving native fauna, are poised to generate substantial value-added forest by-products and augment livelihood opportunities for the local village populace through the indirect economic dividends of rejuvenated and resource-rich forest ecosystems.
The Commanding Officer, while commending the indefatigable spirit and operational alacrity of the Eco Warriors, exhorted all ranks to maintain unwavering momentum towards timely accomplishment of assigned ecological tasks.
Officers of the ETF and Forest Department further deliberated upon emerging and innovative methodologies being adopted for lantana eradication, habitat restoration, and enhancement of plantation survivability in arduous jungle terrains.
The workshop thus served as a seminal platform for intellectual exchange, inter-departmental synergy, and reaffirmation of the collective resolve towards environmental stewardship and ecological revitalisation in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.