With a view to take up afforestation on vacant land along railway lines, Haryana Government would sign an agreement for plantation on railway lands with the Railways authorities on May 2.
An official spokesman on Sunday said that the agreement would be signed between the Haryana Forest Department and Railways authorities at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.
Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu, Union Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar, Haryana Forests Minister Rao Narbir Singh among other senior officials would be present on the occasion.
According to this agreement, vacant lands along newly-laid out railway lines would be made available by Railway authorities to the Haryana Forest Department for taking up afforestation. This would help in augmenting the tree cover in the state.
He said that this agreement envisaged planting on these lands and sharing of forest produce in consonance with funds provided for afforestation by the parties concerned. Initially, Sonepat–Gohana–Jind and Rohtak–Rewari railway lines would be taken up this year by planting about 1,25,000 saplings over an area of 115 hectares.