Afforestation efforts at Vaishnodevi shrine hills

Efforts for afforestation of Trikuta hills, the abode of Mata Vaishnodevi cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, are in full swing with 20 lakh saplings being planted there to enhance the green cover.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has taken up a large scale afforestation programme of Trikuta hills under which about 20 lakh saplings, including forest, horticulture, floriculture, medicinal and ornamental species have been planted, SMVDSB CEO A K Sahu said.
He said the Board is making continuing efforts to conserve the environment and enhance the green cover of the Trikuta hills and the spaces along the tracks leading to the shrine.

Governor N N Vohra, who is the Chairman of the Board, has directed the CEO to carry out timely execution of plantation activities during the monsoon season and, side by side, take effective preventive measures for any forest fire. 20 fire incidents took place in 2008; 43 in 2009; 3 in 2010; 2 in 2011; 6 in 2012; 7 in 2013 and 12 in 2014. No fire incident took place in 2015 while 8 fire incidents took place in 2016, the CEO said.
To prevent soil erosion and landslides in the shrine area, engineering and non-engineering works such as construction of check dams, dry stone rubble masonry works, percolation ponds and other steps are also being undertaken.