CM Omar Calls for People’s Movement to Combat Climate Change

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday inaugurated the Van Mahotsav 2025 celebrations at Abhinav Theatre, Jammu calling for urgent and sustained action to combat climate change.

“Climate change is real, and the signs are all around us,” Abdullah said in his keynote address. Emphasizing the shared responsibility to protect the environment, he urged people to treat the Earth as a legacy for future generations, and to preserve—if not improve—it during their lifetime. “Let’s find joy in planting trees and gifting plants,” he added, encouraging citizens to transform Van Mahotsav into a vibrant people’s movement.

Chief Minister was joined by Javed Ahmed Rana, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology and Environment and Tribal Affairs; Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani; Commissioner and Secretary of Forest, Ecology and Environment, Sheetal Nanda; Secretary of Tribal Affairs, Prasanna Ramaswamy G and other dignitaries.

During his speech, Abdullah stressed the need for genuine afforestation rather than token gestures. “There needs to be a check on greed; only our needs must be met. Uncontrolled deforestation must stop,” he said. Calling for balance between progress and preservation, he added, “Development is a need, but it should be judicious. For every tree uprooted, a hundred must be planted.”

Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to tribal and forest-dwelling communities, the Chief Minister said the government would ensure that the benefits of the Forest Rights Act and access to minor forest produce reach every intended beneficiary. Addressing the youth, he called for a renewed culture of environmental stewardship.

Besides, minister Javed Ahmed Rana acknowledged the crucial role of tribal communities in forest protection. He called for the Tribal Affairs Department to be designated as the nodal agency for implementing the Forest Rights Act. The Minister also outlined government initiatives including water conservation measures in Kandi areas, youth employment through the Van Dhan Yojana, and new plans for eco-tourism and sustainable development under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.

Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, stated that forests are more than resources, they are lifelines. “Forests give us firewood, fodder, timber, and the very air we breathe,” he said, urging a revival of traditional practices like tree planting as acts of gratitude and ecological responsibility. “Development matters, but never at the cost of nature,” Wani added.

As part of the ceremony, Chief Minister Abdullah distributed appointment letters to newly selected candidates in the Forest Department and felicitated individuals and organizations for their contributions to environmental protection.

Organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department, the event saw widespread participation from tribal communities, students, and citizens from across the Union Territory.