Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said that it is important not only to plant trees but also to save them. Called for making Van Mahotsav a mass movement. This year, a target has been set to plant 1.40 crore saplings in the state, which will also be geo-tagged.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has said that planting trees is important, but it is even more important to ensure their survival through proper care and maintenance. He said that Van Mahotsav should not be limited to just tree plantation drive but should be transformed into a mass movement with active public participation to strengthen environmental protection and increase green cover across the State.
The Chief Minister was chairing a review meeting to take stock of the preparations for the upcoming Van Mahotsav in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Target to plant 1.40 crore saplings
During the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forest and Wildlife Department, Sudhir Rajpal informed that under this year’s Van Mahotsav campaign, a target has been set to plant 1.40 crore saplings across Haryana. Suitable places for tree plantation have already been identified. Of the total target, the forest department will plant 1.10 crore saplings at around 3,400 locations, while various other departments will plant 30 lakh saplings at around 900 locations.
Plantation will be done in four phases
Officials said that Van Mahotsav will be organized in four phases, with tree plantation drives scheduled on July 30, August 7, August 14 and August 21. Various departments have been assigned specific responsibilities for each phase. The detailed outline of the state level Van Mahotsav program was also discussed in the meeting.
Important instructions of the Chief Minister
The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure active participation of social and religious organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the general public in the campaign. The progress of the Oxy-Zone project was also reviewed in the meeting. He further directed the Forest Department to prepare a comprehensive action plan for the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0” campaign.
Special scheme for urban areas
According to a release, Saini said urban local bodies (ULBs) should play a leading role in the campaign by carrying out large-scale tree plantation drives in cities. He directed that saplings should be planted with tree guards to ensure the safety of plants in urban areas. He also directed that suitable shade tree species with controlled height should be selected for roadside plantation keeping in mind the requirements of urban areas. Furthermore, tree plantation should be done at major intersections and public places to enhance both the greenery and aesthetic appeal of cities.
The Chief Minister also directed that the entrance gates of the villages should be beautified through extensive tree plantation. He further directed that a special tree plantation drive should be organized during the proposed marathon in Yamunanagar.
Geo-tagging of all plants will be done
Officials told the meeting that all the saplings planted during this year’s campaign will be geo-tagged to ensure regular monitoring and their proper maintenance.
Students and common people will join the campaign
The Chief Minister directed the urban local bodies to coordinate with the ward committees and encourage them to actively participate in the maintenance of the planted saplings. He also directed that the education department, school students, School Management Committees (SMCs) and parents should be associated with the campaign to create widespread public awareness about environment protection. He said that MLAs, ministers and other public representatives will also participate in the tree plantation drive and motivate people to be a part of the campaign.
The Chief Minister further directed every department to ensure regular maintenance of the planted saplings so that they survive and provide long-term environmental benefits.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)