SURAT, June 23: The Department of Forests (Surat Circle), the Social Forestry Department and other related organisations have started gearing up for the `Van Mohatsav', beginning June 26. Planting of saplings on the 4000 sq kms area of the Surat circle of the forest department, holding of a number of competitions and contests and encouraging students to take up the cause of re-afforestation will be taken up during the festival, district administration sources said here on Monday.The Surat Forest circle which includes the districts of Surat, Dangs, Narmada, Valsad, Bharuch and Navsari has decided to take elaborate steps in making the mohatsav a success and officials of the departments concerned have even decided to approach each and every school of these districts and ask them to contribute towards the cause.
Officials of these departments will hold contests and competitions in schools and colleges to propagate the cause of restoring forests.
Sureshchandra Pant, Circle Forest Conservator, said here in the city on Monday that officials of the forest and social forestry department will visit schools with books, pamphlets and other materials and would guide them on environment protection and the importance of forests in human life.
While `Van Mohatsav' will be celebrated throughout the nation under different names from June 26, the state has decided to flag off the mohatsav with the aim of creating an awareness among the people on the importance of forests.
Deputy Forest Conservator (DFC) of Vyara, N A Chaudhary, Dangs (South) DFC Ram Kumar, Dangs (North) DFC Mukesh Kumar, Rajpipla DFC T I Vasava and other IFS officers will co-ordinate the mohatsav, Pant said.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
