Himachal CM Sukhu honours top forest societies for sustainable efforts

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today honoured the top-performing Village Forest Management Societies (VFMS) from Kangra and Chamba districts under the KFW-funded forest conservation project, during a function held in Dehra, Kangra district.

The VFMS of the Dehra Forest Division have consistently excelled in state-level forestry awards, reflecting their commitment to sustainable forest management. In the 2021–22 awards, VFMS-Lagdu of Dehra Forest Division bagged the first prize of Rs 1 lakh, followed by VFMS-Chambhar of Dalhousie with Rs 60,000 and VFMS-Bhated with Rs 40,000. At the division level, VFMS-Lagdu, Bhated and VFMC-Naushera received Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively.

The trend continued in 2022–23, with VFMS-Bhated securing the top state prize of Rs 1 lakh. VFMS-Jaini Masroor-2 and VFMS-Lagdu received the second and third prizes. Division-level awards of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 went to VFMS-Bhated, Jaini Masroor-2 and Baldoa—all under the Nagrota Surian Range.

Congratulating the winners, CM Sukhu praised their efforts in preserving forest ecosystems. He highlighted the participation of 307 Forest Development Committees in Kangra and Chamba under the ongoing KFW-supported project.

“The forest cover in Himachal Pradesh spans 15,443 sq km—nearly 28% of the state’s area. With 68.16% of land under recorded forests, our ecological legacy is rich and unmatched,” the CM said. He acknowledged the challenges posed by population growth, development, and climate change, but reiterated the government’s commitment to scientific and sustainable forest management.