Srinagar, May 4: The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered the constitution of a seven-member committee to create a land bank of suitable non-forest and revenue forest land for compensatory afforestation. This move is aimed at using non-forest lands instead of diverting forest areas for non-forestry purposes under the Van Sanrakshan Ewam Samvardhan Adhiniyam 1980.As per an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), the committee will be headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force (HoFF), J&K as its chairman. Its main task is to identify lands in possession of the revenue department, including wastelands like Gair Mumkin Khad, protected areas, and catchment areas for inclusion in the proposed land bank.”Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee for creation of a land bank of suitable non-forest land and revenue forest land for compensatory afforestation in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purposes under Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir,” the order reads.The panel has been directed to identify various categories of non-forest lands and wastelands not under the management or administrative control of the J&K Forest Department. These include revenue lands, areas in wildlife corridors to improve habitat connectivity, lands around protected areas and eco-sensitive zones, habitats of rare/threatened flora and fauna outside forest areas, catchment zones of rivers/water supply schemes/irrigation projects, and private recorded wastelands after assessing the legal perspective.Preference will be given to lands abutting forests, those suitable for city forests/green spaces, and valuable lands susceptible to encroachment to preserve them as green lungs. The committee has also been tasked with devising a mechanism for obtaining lands from the revenue department, furnishing monthly reports, and developing software with access-based updation, report generation, and a dashboard for the land bank.Other members include senior officials from wildlife, ecology, revenue, divisional commissioners’ offices, and the forest department.The move underscores the government’s commitment to promoting afforestation while preventing diversion of forest lands for non-forestry purposes as per the forest conservation law.
