In a bid to boost green cover and make the State pollution-free, Haryana Government has launched ‘Harit Haryana Vishal Haryana’ plantation campaign.

Haryana Environment Minister, Vipul Goel on Tuesday launched the programme with sapling distribution in the premises of Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, Panchkula, near here. The Minister also administered pledge for plantation and protection of plants to the people, besides planting and distributing saplings.

Goel said that efforts are being made by the State Government for boosting forest cover to ensure maintenance of ecological balance.

These included plantation of 2.5 crore saplings by people of the State in their homes in the current financial year, he added.

He also urged representatives of social, religious and educational organisations and institutions to encourage people, especially children, to plant more trees in the state.

Earlier, a scheme ‘Har Ghar Hariyali’ was also launched under which plants are being given to people for planting them in homestead lands and farmhouses in Haryana.

Under another scheme, ‘Deendayal Upadhyaya Smriti Van’, saplings would be planted at entrances to the office campuses and all vacant lands under offices in Haryana. Similarly, all vacant areas in villages would be covered under the ‘Har Gaon Pedon Ki Chaon’ scheme in the State.

At present, the forest cover is around 3.58 per cent and the State Government has set a target to increase it to six per cent.

The State Forst Department had last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding a project for plantation along the national highways passing through Haryana with a clear undertaking that the Forest Department would not declare the land as protected forests, or reserve forests, without the consent of the NHAI.

Similar MoUs would be signed with each department in the state for plantation drives.