Government of Jammu and Kashmir Department of Forests, Environment & Ecology
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Government of Jammu and Kashmir Department of Forests, Environment & Ecology Subject : Sanction for approved of revised Working Plans of Anantnag, Shopian and Udhampur Forest Divisions. Reference: No. PCCF/Coord/CFWPC/WP/F-138/924-29 dated 29-05-2014 received from Pr.Chief Conservator of Forests J&K. Government Order No : 193 – FST of 2014 D a t e d : 20 - 06 - 2014 Sanction is hereby, accorded to the operation of the revised Working Plans of the following Forest Division, as recommended by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K, for the period as detailed in the below mentioned table : S. Division Existing Working Plan Revised Working Plan No. Name of the Period Name of the Period approved Working originally Working Plan Officer approved Plan Officer 1. Shopian Shri. B. L. 1977-78 to Sh. B. L. 2014-15 to 2023-24 and an Tiku 1986-87 Tiku operational period of Shri. Tiku’s Plan deemed to have been extended upto 2013-14. 2. Anantnag Shri. Shamim 1982-83 to Dr. B. Bala 2014-15 to 2023-24 and an Mohd. Khan 1991-92 Ji IFS operational period of Sh. Shamim’s plan deemed to have been extended upto 2013-14 3. Udhampur Shri. Sarvesh 1996-97 to Shri. 2015-16 to 2025-26 and an Rai 2006-07 Showkat operational period of Sh. Chowdhary Showkat’s plan deemed to have been extended upto 2014-15. The above revised Action Plan is subject to the following conditions: i. That in the event of ban on the felling of green trees in the forests of extended period unless the table of felling for each working circle is approved by the Working Plan Committee; and i ii. That the Divisional Forest Officers shall compile the extraction data according to the relevant control forms for the corresponding working plan periods, and the period that has elapsed thereafter, so that the same is taken into account during the extended period. iii. That no activity is permitted to be taken up in the forest area in violation of the provisions of the J&K Forest (Conservation) Act. iv. That it shall be ensured that the provisions of the J&K Forest (Conservation) Act and guidelines issued there under are strictly followed while implementing working plan prescriptions. v. That the standing instructions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India from time to time in Writ Petition 202/95 as well as in similar Writ Petitions shall meticulously be followed. vi. That this approval does not ipso facto imply approval of any proposed non forestry activities requiring separate clearance under Jammu and Kashmir Forest (Conservation) Act. Such activities shall not be undertaken until separate Forest clearance, is obtained under the Act. By order of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Sd/- (Muhammad Afzal) IAS Secretary to Government Forest Department. No : FST/Lease/50/2001-II Dated : 20-06-2014 Copy to the : 1. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K Srinagar. 2. Chief Conservator of Forests, Kashmir/Jammu. 3. Conservator of Forests, Working Plan Circle, J&K Srinagar. 4. Concerned Officers. 5. Joint Director (P&S) Forest Department. 6. Officer on Special Duty with the Hon’ble Forests Minister. 7. Pvt. Secretary to Secretary to Government, Forest Department. 8. Government Order file/stock file. Sd/- (Amreet Singh) Deputy Secretary to Government Forest Department. ii INTRODUCTION The Shopian Forest Division came into being during the year 1982 as a result of reorganization of Forest Department. It had four territorial Ranges Shopian, Romshi, Veshav and (D.H.Pora which was carved from erstwhile Forest Division Anantnag) one non-territorial Range (Kakapora) and one Soil Conservation (SC Range Shopian) Ranges. This happen to be the 5th revision of the Working Plan for Shopian Forest Division. During the period of previous Working Plan by Shri B.L. Ticku (1977-1986), Shopian Forest Division was a part of Pir Panjal Division. In the year 2010-11, the D.H.Pora and Veshav Ranges were annexed with Special Forest Division Kulgam created vide Govt. Order No.407-FST of 2010 dated:25-10-2010 and thus the total forest area of the Division is only 25% of the area during previous Working Plan. The revision of the reorganized Shopian Forest Division was due in the year 1986-87 on the expiry of Ticku’s Working Plan, however it could not get materialized in time due to unavoidable circumstances that prevailed in the Valley since 1989 onwards. Thus the forests of the Division continued to be worked as per Shri B.L. Ticku’s Working Plan. The present Plan will therefore form a first compact revised Plan of reorganized Shopian Forest Division. The Working Plan exercise was undertaken in the year 2010-11, when the territorial Divisional Forest Officers were entrusted the job of undertaking the Working Plan revision exercise perhaps for the first time. In Shopian Forest Division active field work began in the financial year 2011-12 only. Since the field functionaries had long been, not associated with any kind of Working Plan exercise extensive training programmes and demonstrative field exercises were undertaken to develop requisite expertise amongst the staff. Of late, as observed during last 10 to 15 years, the forest policy and management have had many changes. The emphasis has considerably shifted towards environmental conservation rather than revenue realization, to meet the necessities of the people living near the surrounding forests. The State Forest Policy of Jammu & Kashmir, 2010 was framed to ensure environmental stability by advocating management to “Conservation oriented” rather than “Use Oriented”. It is under these changed circumstances that the revision of Working Plan for Shopian Forest Division was taken up in hand. It is a well known fact that the future of our forests depend on the establishment of regeneration and as such the present working Plan gives top most priority to secure regeneration, augment vigour, life, luster, etc. to existing forests. The forests of Shopian have undergone a sea change and thus deserve effective tackling and that is why the Working Plan exercise was taken in extreme care and caution. The Deodar-Kail Conservation Working Circle of previous working plan could not been retained in this Plan due to paradigm decline in crop composition. This juncture, I am sure will not only revive the forests but will also help in securing regeneration in the areas, that have failed to regenerate till now. The Protection Working Circle of Previous working Plan is renamed iii as Ecological Conservation Working Circle and is almost identical to it. The Reboisment Working Circle of the previous plan has also been renamed as Rehabilitation Working circle. Some new Overlapping circles namely NTFP working circle, JFM working circle, Plantation working circle, Wildlife working circle and Protection working circle have been added to the list of Working Circles which were not there in the previous working plan. The Working Plan Officer is highly indebted to Shri Abay Kumar, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu & Kashmir for providing me the opportunity to take up this prestigious assignment. Thanks are also due to Shri Vinod Rajan, IFS, HOFF, former PCCF, Shri Manzoor Ahmad Khan, IFS, former CCF Kashmir for their valuable support. The writer takes the opportunity to express his gratitude to Shri Nisar Ahmad, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests Kashmir, Shri S.P. Sharma, IFS, CCF Working Plan, Shri. Vasu-Yadav, IFS, CF Working Plan and Research and Shri Ab. Gani, IFS, former CF South for their valuable support, guidance and confidence reposed on me. The writer is highly indebted to Shri Javed Iqbal Punjoo, IFS, CF South, for his total support, guidance on all aspects of field exercise of this Working Plan. In the last undersigned would like to record that this work could not have been completed, had there not been whole hearted and sincere efforts put forth by Miss Gazalla Abdullaha, RO Grade-I (I/c R.O. Working Plan) and her team in collection of requisite field data and remaining actively involved in this revision exercise. This Plan is the result of hard work put in by Shri Waseem Farooq Mir, ACF, Shri Gh. Nabi Chowan, RO Shopian, Shri Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, RO Romshi, Shri Manzoor Ahmad Beigh, Head Clerk, Shri Mohd. Iqbal Dar, I/c Lease, Shri Gulzar Ahmad, B.O. Sedow, Shri Jehnagir Jeelani Deva, BO Methwani, Shri Mohd. Shafi Khan, B.O. Hirpora, Shri Gh. Mohd. Wani, B.O. Zawoora, Shri Mohd. Yaqoob Bhat and Shri Javeed Ahamd Malik. Special thanks to my two computer operators Shri Suhail Ahamd Zarger and Shri Karamat Ali Naikoo who remained associated with me round the clock in compilation of this Book. Last but not the least, thanks to Shri Zameer Ahmad, DFO, P.I. Division and his team namely Shri Jamsheed Ahmad, Shri Shabir Ahmad and Shri Javed Ahamd for their active corporation and assistance they rendered to me as and when needed. Srinagar (Mohd. Ashraf Katoo) 20-02-2014 DFO: Working Plan/ DFO : Shopian Forest Division. iv CONTENTS Introduction iii-iv __________________________________________________________________________ Section Title Page PART – I SUMMARY OF FACTS ON WHICH THE PROPOSALS ARE BASED CHAPTER The Tract Dealt With 1.1 Name and Situation 1 1.2 Configuration of the ground 1 1.3 Drainage 1 1.4 Geology, rock and soil 2-3 1.5 Climate and rainfall 3 1.6 Temperature and Relative Humidity 3-4 1.7 Water Supply 4 1.8 Distribution and area 4 1.9 Demarcation and State of Boundaries 4-5 1.10 Legal Position 5 1.11 Rights and Concessions 6 1.16 Grazing 7-9 CHAPTER – IIA Forest Flora 2.1.1 The Forest 10 2.1.2 Deodar Kail Zone 10-11 2.1.3 Fir Forest 11-12