Community volunteers plant over 100 deodar saplings in Budgam

Budgam, Jul 18: A group of local volunteers and community members on Saturday planted over 100 deodar saplings at Rathsun in central Kashmir’s Budgam district as part of a community-led initiative to promote afforestation and environmental conservation.
The drive was organised through voluntary contributions under the banner of Green Valley Revival.
In a statement, a spokesperson said the initiative was organised entirely through voluntary efforts, with members contributing their own time, resources, and funds. Working under the banner of Green Valley Revival, the volunteers share a common vision of reviving Kashmir’s green cover through sustained afforestation and encouraging greater public participation in environmental conservation.
He said local community members also joined the drive, making the plantation campaign a collective effort.
The spokesperson said those who contributed to the initiative included Irfan Mir, a tourism teacher at GGHSS Kothi Bagh, Srinagar; Faizan Arif, an independent climate analyst and environmentalist; Dr Rehana Rasheed, Abrar Zahur, Dr Tajamul Rather, Showkat Hamid, Syed Irfan-ul-Haq, Mohd Shafi Rather, Ashiq Hussain, Mushtaq Ahmad Kumar, and several other volunteers who actively participated in the drive.
“The Rathsun plantation campaign marks another step in the volunteers’ ongoing environmental efforts. Earlier, around 500 deodar saplings were planted at Dignibal, and the group intends to continue similar community-led plantation drives across different areas of Kashmir to help restore and preserve the Valley’s green cover for future generations,” he said. (KNO)