Colonel B.S. Nagial, Commander Officer, 133 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Ecological (DOGRA) with other senior officers called on Governor Acharya Devvrat at Rajbhawan here today. They apprised the Governor about the achievement of the unit during last ten years in afforestation of degraded land. On the occasion, they have also presented memento of the unit to the Governor.
The Governor appreciated the efforts of the Territorial Army to improve the green cover of the State particularly in the catchment area of the Satluj and Beas rivers and has expressed his satisfaction on the achievement and activities of the unit in the state.
"This year the battalion is celebrating its 10th year of raising and have done a great job by planting more than 32 lakh saplings in 10 years and such activities will be helpful in promoting ecological activities in all respect to increase the green cover of the state", said Acharya Devvrat.
He said that it was very important to save the precious environment and time has come to involve every one in eco related activities and added that particularly youth should be motivated in such drives so that imagination of green world is completed. He said that it provides an ideal opportunity to the youth of the country to receive military training in their spare time so that in the event of a national emergency they may be called upon to meet the needs of the country's defence.
The Governor appreciated their moto- 'Veer Himachal and Green Himachal' and hoped that they should carryout relentness ecological related task in future also and asked the officials to involve local youths in their mission.
Colonel B.S. Nagial, Commanding Officer 133 Infantry Battalian (Territorial Army) Ecological (DOGRA) apprised the Governor the unit besides the task of afforestation has been actively performing the activities such as soil conservation, construction of check dams, organizing ‘Van Mahotsava’, spreading ecological awareness for the local populace, which have resulted in prevention of felling of trees and control of forest fire. The battalion had planted more than 32 lakh saplings covering 2994 hectares of degraded land with overall survival of 65 to 7o per cent, he added.
Other battalion officers included Lt. Col Randhawa, Second- in- Command and Maj Jitender, Adjutant accompanied the Commanding Officer.
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