Chhattisgarh govt plans to plant 30 million saplings during monsoon

The state government has decided to take up a plantation drive in the monsoon.

“In accordance with the intention of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the (forest) department is prioritising the planting of fruit-bearing trees during the monsoon,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests V Srinivasa Rao said.

The drive will be conducted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, he added.

The department will plant 5.97 million fruit-bearing trees including mango, jamun, bel, jackfruit, munga, custard apple, papaya, pomegranate, lemon, mulberry, almond, tendu, Ganga tamarind, and lychee.

Similarly, 6.74 million plants, including those with medicinal properties, will be sown. They include putrajiva, kala sirus, sindoori, garud, reetha, chitrak, aloe vera, giloy, adusa, ashwagandha, sarpagandha, and tulsi.

 

Endowed with pristine and abundant natural resources, the recorded forest area in the state is 59,772 square km, which is 44.21 per cent of its geographical area. “Reserved”, “Protected”, and “Unclassed” forests constitute 43.13 per cent, 40.21 per cent, and 16.65 per cent, respectively, of the forest area. The drive will boost the state government’s green campaign.

Besides, bamboo plants will be sown during the campaign, Rao said, adding that nearly 346,000 saplings will be planted on river banks.

“The move will not only prevent soil erosion but also fulfil various needs of local citizens,” he added.

In view of the expansion of greenery on the roads of the state, the department will undertake planting 43,000 trees along a 45-km-long road.

The plantation will be conducted not just in forest regions but also on private and government lands.

The state government had launched another flagship plantation scheme called the Mukhyamantri Vriksh Samapada Yojana this year. Under the scheme, commercially important plants and species will be sown on the private land of farmers and other beneficiaries.