Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal (Retd)

On this Earth Day let’s pledge to grow more trees. We are lucky to have Shivaliks  which have over 130 Centimetres rainfall every year but the entire rainfall water flows down across the International border within 2 to 3 hours.

Shivaliks can be a green Oasis with fruit trees, herbal plants and particularly, many organic crops. We have 1 crore market in Mata Vaishno Devi and lot of land and unemployed youth waiting to harvest rainwater in the Watershed mode by gully plugging, check dams and small water bodies. 

It can be a money spinner for Jammu and can make us economically viable. Infact this is the answer to all our problems viz-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir.

With the technologies now available we can transform the Shivaliks into a green paradise to support the entire population by growing Desi Mangos, summer Apples, Apricots and Plums.

On COVID situation
Considering the oxygen supply problem in the country and the fact that the incidents of Covid are on the increase, it would be wise for the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Government to  make some provisions about oxygen in advance before it is too late.

It is also time our various Trusts and religious and social organisations like the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Trust and Auqaf and also Gurdwaras and maybe other religious organisations and Sabhas must  start keeping stock of the oxygen cylinders and if need be support by creating extra beds in the hospitals and dispensaries.

There is a vast scope for expansion of facilities by  these institutions which must be made use of and action initiated before it is too late as it’s happening in Delhi and other places.

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