GMC Srinagar conducts plantation drive in Upper Dachigam

Srinagar, Nov 2: As part of the family adoption programme mandated by the National Medical Commission, a successful mega plantation drive was conducted in the Mulnar area of Dachigam, Srinagar by Government Medical College Srinagar.

The event was organised in association with BMO Hazratbal and in collaboration with the NGO Kashmir Concern and the Rotary Club of Kashmir, with support from the Wildlife Protection Department J&K (Central Division).

One hundred eighty MBBS students from the 2023 batch, along with faculty and resident doctors from the Department of Community Medicine at GMC Srinagar, participated in the event.

The mega event was inaugurated by Prof Iffat Hassan, Principal and Dean of Government Medical College Srinagar, in the presence of Prof S. Muhammad Salim Khan, HOD, faculty and resident doctors of the Department of Community Medicine; Dr Fara Shafi, BMO Hazratbal; the Chairman of Kashmir Concern; the Secretary of the Rotary Club of Kashmir; the President of Rotary International Kashmir; and a Rotarian from Bengaluru, along with the 180 students and staff from the medical block in Hazratbal.

The event took place in the Upper Dachigam region, where 200 fruit plant saplings were planted, demonstrating a commitment to environmental conservation.

This plantation drive marks a significant step toward restoring the ecological balance of the Upper Dachigam region. By planting a diverse range of trees, the initiative aims to enhance biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and improve the overall health of the ecosystem, said Dr Salim Khan, Head of the Department of Community Medicine at GMC.

Similar plantation drives will continue with other batches of medical students in the future, highlighting the “role of the environment in the overall health and development of individuals and the community.”