25 and counting

Forest Survey of India which was created in June 1981 as a successor to Pre Investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR) is celebrating its Silver Jubilee in 2006. As par of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of FSI, a number of activities were planed like publication of Souvenir and other reports, production of a short film, honoring former senior officers of PIS and FSI and staff of FSI etc. The Silver Jubilee celebrations culminated on September 28 & 29, 2006 by organizing a two-day workshop on ‘Review of Geomatics in Forest Resource Assessment to mark the occasion.

The workshop was inaugurated by Shri C L Bhatia, former Inspector General of Forests, & former chief Coordinator PIS. Shri C L Bhatia highlighted FSI’s illustrious history and praised the efforts made by FSI in the field of forest resource assessment of the country. Shri J C Kala, Director General of Forests & Special Secretary, Government of India, speaking at the inaugural ceremony, said that FSI is the premier institution today in the field of forest resource assessment and can be compared with the best in the world.Dr. Devendra Pandey, Director General, FSI while welcoming the delegates outlined FSI’s future plans and highlighted its achievements. He emphasized the importance of mapping and measuring forests for their management. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Shri. Saibal Dasgupta, Joint Director, FSI.

A short film made by FSI titled ‘Activities of Forest Survey of India’ was released as part of the celebration. The 20-minute film showcased FSI’s record and profile. A visually appealing slideshow showcasing FSI activities & profile was also displayed. A number of publications including Silver Jubilee ‘Souvenir, ‘Forest Atlas’,’ Van Darpan’ and ‘FSI Project Overview’ were released ceremonially at the function. In the afternoon session, the senior forest officers, who have had association with FSI, regaled the audience with their experiences. In the technical sessions, representatives of FSI, Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad and State Forest Departments of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Punjab etc. presented their respective work in the field of use of Geomatics in forestry. The two day workshop culminated on the 29th of September, 06 after the session on panel discussion and recommendations.