1 lakh mega plantation drive launched in Kargil

Kargil, Apr 8: In a step towards environmental protection and sustainable development, the one lakh mega plantation drive 2025 was officially launched in Kargil by the Jamiat -Ul -Ulema Isna Asharia Kargil (JUIAK).

According to a press release, it was launched under its flagship initiative Al Hima-laya Green Mission and Research Centre, in collaboration with District Administration Kargil, UT Ladakh on Tuesday . Supported by Ladakh Centre for Peace and Sustainable Development, the plantation campaign was formally flagged off by President JUIAK Sheikh Nazir Mehdi Mohammadi from District Headquarters, Kargil. The ceremony was attended by John Gabharani, a noted social worker from Gulbarga, Karnataka, who attended as the special guest, alongside prominent scholars and members of the Ulama Council.

The first phase of the drive began with plantation activities at Jaffaria Academy of Modern Education (Higher Wing), Kurbathang, where the dignitaries planted the initial saplings, symbolising the commencement of the large-scale mission. The drive will continue across various key locations in the district including educational institutions, Mechanical Engineering Department, Wildlife Department, Health and Education Departments, and the District Hospital, Security Installations: BRO Headquarters (Project Vijayak), Army Headquarters, District Police Line Kargil, Public Lands and Roadsides, selected locations throughout Kargil town and adjoining areas.

More than 500 volunteers from Al Hima-laya Green Mission and Research Centre are actively supporting institutions and communities in planting and nurturing saplings. In his address, Sheikh Nazir Mehdi Mohammadi said, “This is not just a campaign, it is the beginning of a long-term mission focused on environmental sustainability and climate resilience. With the visible effects of global warming and the loss of over 40,000 trees due to development activities like the Kargil-Zanskar Road construction, it became necessary to take corrective steps through community engagement and mass plantation.”