Indian Army, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University sign MoU to increase forest cover in hills

DEHRADUN: The Ecological Task Force -127 infantry battalion of the Indian Army on Saturday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNBGU), Srinagar, Uttarakhand, to prevent the degradation of forests in the hilly areas and increase the forest cover.

As part of the MoU in force for two years, the organisations will plant trees and work with the local communities to enhance the forest cover along with providing them with a livelihood to prevent migration. The MoU was signed by Col Rohit Srivastava from the Eco Task Force and professor MS Panwar, the registrar of HNBGU. Col Srivastava said, "It would help in saving the fragile Himalayan ecology, safeguarding the environment and providing long term solutions with the involvement of local communities to arrest migration from the hills."