Emphasising the conservation of water, forests and land for ecological balance, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Tuesday acknowledged the crucial roles village forest management committees playing in this direction.
He was speaking at a felicitation event organised by the Forest Department in Ghatashni Gram Panchayat under the Dalhousie Forest Division.
The event aimed to honour village forest management committees that have excelled in environmental conservation and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to forest fire prevention.
The event saw participation from office-bearers and representatives of various rural forest management committees, along with officers, employees of the Forest Department, and a large number of local residents.
Highlighting the Himachal Pradesh Government’s commitment to forest conservation and expansion, Pathania said the state government had launched Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana in the recently presented 2025-26 budget.
Under this scheme, Rs 100 crore will be allocated to encourage community participation, benefiting self-help groups, women’s associations, youth groups, and rural forest management committees.
This initiative will not only create self-employment opportunities but also promote the conservation of water, forests, and land in the state.
Pathania stressed that government forests were the common property of all residents, and their preservation requires collective efforts from all sections of society.
He urged locals to refrain from setting forest fires and to report any such incidents immediately to the Forest Department. Additionally, he encouraged mass sapling plantation during the upcoming afforestation season.
During the event, village forest management committees were awarded for their exceptional work.
For the financial year 2021-22, the first prize was awarded to Chhabad, the second to Kadai, and the third to Taragarh. In 2022-23, Chhabad secured the first position, Kail the second, and Dhunera the third.
Earlier, Dalhousie DFO Rajneesh Mahajan provided key insights into the significance of the felicitation ceremony. He emphasised that protecting forest resources is an arduous task for the department without public cooperation.
However, the Dalhousie Forest Division has successfully tackled this challenge through community participation. Chamba Conservator of Forests Abhilash Damodaran underscored the importance of public involvement in preventing forest fires.
He said safeguarding forest resources and wildlife is not solely the responsibility of the Forest Department but also a duty of every citizen to maintain environmental balance. Several officials, including State Forest Corporation Director Krishna Chand Chela, also addressed the gathering.
