SRINAGAR, Aug 9 (Agencies): Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) G.H. Kango passed away on Sunday at his residence in Rajbagh, Srinagar.
G.H. Kango was widely regarded as a pioneer of modern forestry in Jammu & Kashmir. During his distinguished career, he introduced the concepts of soil and water conservation and integrated watershed management in the Forest Department and played a key role in establishing several watershed management projects in the region with the assistance of the World Bank.
Kango has also contributed significantly to the stabilisation of degraded and denuded areas and addressed soil and water conservation challenges in the Kandi areas of Kashmir Valley and several parts of the Jammu region.
Under his guidance, the Department of Soil Conservation was established in 1978, and Kango was appointed its first Director. He served in the department for eight years, from 1978 to 1986, before later serving as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and retiring from active service in 1993.
Ghulam Hassan Kango was a scholar with a deep interest in forestry, ecology, nomadic studies and pasture development. Besides his distinguished career in the Forest Department, he authored several articles on nomadic communities and their traditional routes, with his work appearing in national and international publications, and participated in several conferences on forestry and environmental issues. He remained actively engaged with conservation and environmental awareness even after retirement, sharing his experience and knowledge with researchers, students and civil society groups.