Punjab Forest Department will distribute 25 lakh free saplings during 2017-18 to various institutions to maintain ecological balance and bring government as well as other institutions under green cover.
“The department would distribute saplings under ‘Punjab Mission Scheme’ to educational, social, religious institutions apart from military and para-military forces,” said the state Forest and Wildlife Preservation Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot on Thursday.
He said that it would be mandatory for the concerned institutions to carefully nurture the saplings so as to fulfil the purpose of increasing greenery.
Department has also formulated a comprehensive plan to prepare herbal garden at Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda and Patiala during 2017-18 besides having medicinal plants at appropriate places. Under the scheme, a total of Rs 1.25 crore would be spent during current year.
The Minister also detailed that the department has established two modern nurseries at Hoshiarpur and Patiala during the course of previous three months in order to prepare good quality saplings for plantation to increase forest cover.