Green Jammu Kashmir Drive for 2023-24 is beginning from IIM Jammu, said the Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha after planting a tree. Jammu Kashmir administration symbolises commitment towards environment and natural resources. The World Meteorological Organisation had published a report wherein it was stated that the temperature may increase by 1.5 degree Celsius in the next decade. And between 2023 and 2027 nature’s monstrous form can be seen. Don’t think that I am saying all these things to scare you, said the Lieutenant Governor. Rather, we need to understand that today if we strengthen our natural system, and if we don’t try to make our ecology more prosperous, then I think there can be a threat to our own existence. Therefore, I would urge that the need to revive our environment, ecology has never been more urgent than today, LG said. Although our forefathers, our tradition, our culture have warned us and given a mantra that development and nature should be nurtured together. Because humans and nature are not separate. And I think it’s dishonest to imagine man without nature, LG said. But generation after generation these things remained in the books. We forgot that nature and human partnership is the only true partnership in the world. And it started when the first species were born. We forgot that the source of our existence is nature. Think for yourself, nature is the first partnership in human life. Other partnerships come later. A tree is there when you are born. The forest and green cover in J&K is around 55% after many years of efforts, LG stated. While the national average is 24.5%. In the last three years, 4 crore saplings have been planted in Jammu & Kashmir. Out of those, 60% of the plants have been saved. The target for this financial year is to plant 1 crore 75 lakh saplings. It is a matter of satisfaction for all of us. New challenges are coming in many places of the world. On the other hand, the spirit of Jammu and Kashmir is to protect its natural wealth and by strengthening it to fulfill our responsibility towards the coming generation. Thus we are trying to discharge our responsibility towards the coming generation. Har Gaon Haryali, One Beat Guard-One Village Programme, Van se Jal, Jal se Jeevan, Ped Lagao Beti Ke Naam, we have run many programs like this. And all these programs depend on public participation only. I would like to humbly request the citizens and public representatives to participate actively in all these campaigns, LG said.