FRI holds training programme for eco battalions

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 15

A week-long training on silviculture/forestry for the personnel of eco battalion of the Territorial Army began today.

The training is being organised by the silviculture division of the Forest Research Institute (FRI) and is a joint venture of the FRI, Dehradun, and 127 (TA) Garhwal Rifles, Dehradun.

About 46 personnel ranging from Colonel, Lt Colonel, Major, JCO’s and jawans from the 8 eco battalion of the Territorial Army and the 12 Infantry battalions from Assam, Delhi, Rajasthan, Shimla, Sambha, Chennai are participating in the training programme at the FRI.

During the inauguration of the training course, chief guest Dr PP Bhojvaid, Director, FRI, said eco battalions of the Territorial Army were doing a commendable work on afforestation of degraded and disturbed sites. The training would provide scientific inputs on nursery raising and plantation managements. He stressed that some more lectures on afforestation on difficult sites would also be included in the training course as all Eco Task Force battalions are carrying out plantation activities on stress sites.

Kunal Satyarhi, head, Silviculture Division, said the institute was regularly organising training on nursery and plantation technology for the state Forest Departments and eco battalions of Eco Task Force of all over the country and their feedbacks had been very positive in the past.

Earlier Dr Ombir Singh, course coordinator, gave a detailed report of the course and said more emphasis was being given to practical exposure in nursery and plantation activities.

The training module includes the techniques of seed dormancy pretreatments, seed storage, clonal propagation of bamboo, nursery techniques of important tree species of Assam, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, HP and J&K.

The training lectures also include soil fertility management in nursery and plantations, afforestation of difficult sites and management of fungal and insect-pest diseases in nursery and plantations.