Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo Wednesday chaired two separate high-level meetings to review the initiatives undertaken for the promotion of ecotourism by the Forest Department and the commercial cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) across J&K with an emphasis on conservation-driven growth and livelihood generation.
The meeting on ecotourism was attended by the Commissioner Secretary, Forests; Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF); Chief Wildlife Warden; Managing Director, Forest Development Corporation; Director, Remote Sensing and other senior officers of the Forest Department.
During the deliberations, the Chief Secretary emphasised the need for a more comprehensive and well-planned approach to ecotourism development. He advised the department to identify destinations that can offer multiple ecotourism options, enabling visitors to choose activities based on their interests and the duration of their stay.
The role of the Forest Development Corporation in strengthening ecotourism infrastructure and services was discussed in detail.
The PCCF, Suresh Kumar Gupta, highlighted successful ecotourism models adopted in other states, including the Ranjit Sagar Lake initiative in Punjab and similar models in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which were examined for possible replication in J&K.
Commissioner Secretary, Forests, Sheetal Nanda, stated that the eco-tourism plan is still at a formative stage, with significant scope for improvement in planning, institutionalisation and execution. She underscored that the initiative aims at sustainable utilisation of the region’s rich natural resources while ensuring conservation of forests and wildlife, community participation, livelihood generation and preservation of local culture.
The presentation by the Managing Director, Forest Development Corporation outlined a structured roadmap for strengthening ecotourism across identified destinations. The plan includes the identification and selection of suitable ecotourism sites and land parcels, the development of environmentally compliant camping infrastructure, and capacity building through the creation of Master Trainers for various ecotourism activities.
The roadmap also envisages the development of quality hospitality services through outsourcing and engagement of professional service providers at each ecotourism site to ensure high standards of service delivery.
It was informed that the ecotourism initiative is expected to generate substantial employment and livelihood opportunities, particularly for rural and forest-dependent communities. The initiative also aims at promoting high-quality, high-value ecotourism and establishing a trusted ecotourism brand, positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a leading sustainable tourism destination.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary also rolled out the mobile application ‘e-Bahak’, developed by BISAG-N, for online grant of grazing permissions to nomadic pastoral communities of J&K. The trilingual app (Hindi, English and Urdu) is fully digital with an integrated payment gateway, eliminating manual intervention. It also features weather alerts and guidance systems to facilitate ease of use for nomads.
Later, the Chief Secretary chaired another meeting to discuss strategies for the promotion of commercial cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants across the districts of the UT.
He called for the formulation of a clear-vision plan with well-defined objectives, developed in consultation with market stakeholders such as pharmaceutical companies.
The Chief Secretary directed that commercial cultivation should commence with a few popular and locally suitable MAP varieties, with gradual diversification following the development of scientific packages of practices for additional crops.
He emphasised active collaboration with research institutions such as SKUAST and CSIR-IIIM, Jammu.
He further stressed the importance of fixing time-bound milestones, developing processing facilities, and ensuring the dissemination of advanced knowledge, expertise and infrastructure support from CSIR-IIIM in this sector.
Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Shailendra Kumar highlighted that in order to increase the rate of success, the farmers’ profitability must remain the core objective of the strategy.
He advised assessment of the capacity of existing nurseries and the range of products that can be developed through them.
He also called for prioritising the MAP varieties unique to J&K to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the trade, along with robust mechanisms to connect growers directly with buyers.
Vice Chancellors of SKUAST Jammu/Kashmir elaborated on the transformative role their institutions can play in promoting MAP cultivation, highlighting ongoing research, existing infrastructure, and the need for further upgradation to scale up efforts.
Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu, took this occasion to detail out the institute’s capabilities in the characterisation of MAP products, testing of derivatives, and revival of select varieties through tissue culture techniques.
The Managing Director, HADP, outlined the proposed implementation framework, clearly delineating the roles and responsibilities of the Forest and Agriculture Departments, along with research institutions such as CSIR-IIIM and the Agricultural Universities of Jammu and Kashmir.