Carrying out a Statewide survey for plantation, the Punjab Forests Department has identified 9800 hectare area in 9145 villages and 3021 hectare area in institutions which could be utilised for plantation of saplings. The move is aimed at achieving States’ goal of 15 per cent forest cover by 2020.
Disclosing, the State Forest and Wildlife Preservation Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said that out of total 12278 villages, 9145 villages have been surveyed for identifying vacant land for plantation by the forest department under Greening Punjab Mission.
“9800 hectare area is available for plantation in these villages and 90 lakh saplings would be planted in these villages. Besides, 17915 institutions have also been surveyed in first ever statewide survey, and 3021 hectare area was found available for plantation,” said JiyaniThe Minister further said that the Punjab Government has chalked out a plan worth `1900 crore for the implementation of the “Greening Punjab Mission” with the target to increase the forest area from seven to 15 per cent across the State in next seven years.
Under this ambitious mission, as many as 40 crore saplings are targeted to be planted at various places across the state. He said that Greening Punjab Mission has been launched in 2012 by the Department of Forest.
Jiyani further added that the National Forest Policy envisages 33 per cent of the country’s area under forest or tree cover for safeguarding the environment and ecology of the Nation. Punjab, being a predominantly agricultural State, has less than seven per cent of its area under forest or tree cover, resulting in severe environmental and ecological degradation and also leads to rapidly rising pollution levels in the air, water and soil of the State.