Due to the deteriorating environmental balance, the constantly increasing temperature in the country and the world is the major challenge of the 21st century, for the prevention of which it is very important to conserve water, forest and land. The plantation is the most important link to solve this problem, for which many efforts are being made at the government and private levels, despite this, the temperature is constantly increasing year after year, as a result of which untimely rains and many times more rain than the average at one place in a fixed period is a warning of danger for the future of humans and other living creatures on earth. Therefore, for environmental protection, we should not only depend on government and private organizations but also make more efforts at the individual level than before so that the ill effects of deteriorating environmental balance can be avoided in the future.
Forest Circle is playing an important role in the direction of environmental conservation in the Chamba district. Despite the difficult geographical conditions of the district, the forest department not only plants lakhs of plants of different species every year in the forest areas of the district, but also, to protect them continuously, the employees working at the ground level of the department remain alert 24 hours a day during summer and risk their lives to protect these trees from forest fires.
Giving more information on this subject, Chief Forest Conservator Chamba Abhilash Damodaran said that Chamba forest circle is very rich and nourished in terms of forest resources. 4256 square kilometer area of the district is under the forest department. Out of which 2453 square kilometers area covered with forest cover while the remaining high altitude areas have grass and various other types of herbs. Apart from increasing the bio-ecosystem in the district, this area is also the main source of fodder etc. for wild animals and domestic animals of the local people. Abhilash Damodaran said that every year during the monsoon season, plantation is done on about 1200 hectares of forest land in Chamba district. For plantation work, about 12 to 14 lakh plants of different species are prepared every year in the departmental nurseries.
He said that incidents of arson in the conservation of forest wealth in the district are the biggest challenge for the forest department. People setting fire to their grasslands for cleaning is the main reason for incidents of arson in the forests. To solve this problem, the forest department is continuously making people sensitive and aware of the environment from time to time and giving them special instructions to avoid forest fires. Despite the efforts made by the department in this direction, 213 cases of arson have been reported in the district this time. Due to this, forest wealth in an area of 2763 hectares of land has been damaged and about 440 hectares of planted area has been destroyed.
He said that according to the departmental assessment, the government has suffered a revenue loss of Rs 68 lakh due to these incidents of arson, while the huge damage caused to nature, biodiversity, and wildlife cannot be estimated.
The Chief Forest Conservator informed that there are a total of five divisions under Forest Circle Chamba including Chamba, Churah, Bharmour, Dalhousie and Pangi. These have a total of 18 ranges, 55 blocks and 198 pits. There are a total of 713 sanctioned posts in Forest Circle Chamba, under which officers and employees are working on 584 posts of various categories. He informed that despite about 15% posts of officers and employees being vacant, Forest Circle Chamba is moving ahead in the direction of environmental protection and achieving many important achievements by taking strict steps against forest crimes, illegal hunting of wild animals, smuggling of valuable forest wealth and illegal felling.
