HON. AMBASSADOR OF PHILDELPHIA Ms KANIKA CHOUDHARY VISITED JICA OFFICE
Shimla. Ms Kanika Choudhary, Special Envoy Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to INDIA & UAE visited JiCA Headquarters at Potter’s Hill Shimla-5, today. During her meeting with Chief Project Director (JICA Forestry Project) she said that she is representing the commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the objective to explore opportunities that promote mutual & strategic exchanges between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and India. During this meeting Addl. Pr.CCF-cum-CPD (JICA), Sh. Nagesh Guleria , presented the detailed activities of the JICA Forestry Project in the State. He said that Rs. 800 crore JICA Forestry Project is being implemented in 7 Forest Circles, 18 Divisions and 61 Ranges in Bilaspur, Mandi, Kullu, Shimla Kinnaur and Lahaul – Spiti Districts of HP. He said that Forest Ecosystem Management Plan/ Community Biodiversity Management Plans are being prepared in a participatory mode by duly involving all the stakeholders in a democratic manner. Sh. Gularia said that under the Livelihood component , 382 SHGs/CIGs have been formed out of which 345 are all women driven groups and they are working on 80 Business Plans of 15 income generation models.
The Chief Project Director apprised the Hon. Ambassador about the propagation and various Environmental, Socio-Economic as well as medicinal uses of Seabuckthorn (Charma) that grows naturally in Lahaul – Spiti and Kinnaur Districts of Himachal Pradesh and also cultivated on marginal land. Further he added that under the JICA Forestry Project 1 lakh plants of charma each in Lahaul and Spiti Forest Divisions have been raised for plantation to be carried out during next year. Ms. Kanika Choudhry, Hon. Ambassador appreciated the rich Biodiversity of Himachal Pradesh and shown keen interest to know about the propagation strategies , medicinal properties and various products prepared from Seabuckthorn (Charma). She also planted a Chinar (Platanus orientalis) sapling at JICA Office Complex. Professor Arvind Kumar Bhatt of Department of Bio-Technolgy, HP University, Dr. RC Kang IFS (Retd) Director Jadi-Buti Cell, Project Director JICA Sh. Rajesh Sharma & JICA Project Management Unit staff were also present on the occasion. 
