Srinagar October  01 (KNS):  As per the guidelines  issued by the Government of India to  organize Shramdaan Events on 1st October, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the J&K Forest Department organized various events across UT of J&K from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on 1st.October, 2023. UT level event was organized in Shankaracharya forest in which Principal Secretary Forest, E&E Dheeraj Gupta, PCCF HoFF Roshan Jaggi, alongwith other senior officers, field staff, volunteers of NGOs, Paryavaran and Vanmitras, volunteers of Eco-Clubs, Jawans of CRPF and other paramilitary Forces participated.

They participated in the plastic cleanliness drive in the Shankaracharya forest.  This forest is visited by large number of tourists and pilgrims and during this one hour long event plastic garbage was collected and handed over to SMC officials for its proper disposal. Principal Secretary and PCCF-HoFF also interacted  with the participants and enjoined upon them to organize such events on regular basis. Similar events  were also organized at District, Block and Gram Panchayat level both in Urban and Rural areas in all the 20 district of UT of J&K where field level forest officers took up shramm by organizing cleanliness drive in the forest areas, tourist destination areas, near water bodies , rivers, ponds, lakes, Amritsarovars. The students, PRI representatives, representatives of ULBs, local people and field staff participated in these events. During this day long campaign about more than 150 such events were organized at different locations of the UT of J&K by the Forest Department. People in general have appreciated the efforts of the department to organize this type of mass campaign that would not only help in cleaning the forests and other places but would also create awareness and behaviour change in different sections of society.

Plantation events were also organized at certain places.  The idea behind organizing the Shramm campaign is to inculcate the spirit and feeling of taking up various activities in the society like cleanliness drive on voluntary basis. The Department through this day long campaign has successfully mobilized different sections of the society who have responded positively to the call of Prime Minister of the country.(KNS)