Whereas the State Government is going to celebrate its much-talked about 'Harela' campaign aimed at promoting greenery by way of linking it with Uttarakhand's traditional Hareal festival across the State from Friday, its annual plantation programme is likely to suffer a setback for want of requisite fund.The State Government earlier used to receive funds for the plantationdrive mainly from the Centre under the 13th finance commission.
However, it has not received any fund from the Centre for the same purpose this year so far as there is no such provision under the14th finance commission that became operational from 2015. For example, only the western circle of the Uttarakhand forest department comprising the Haldwani forest division, the Terai-centralforest division, the Terai-east forest division, the
Ramnagar forest division and the Terai-west forest division, used to get a Rs19 crore for the said plantation drive in its area per year from the Centre under the 13th finance commission. But it has not yet received any fund this year so far under this head.
We used to get Rs 19 crore for carrying out plantation drive in the western circle from the Centre under the 13th finance commission. But we have not received any fund for plantation purpose so far this year from the Centre after the 14th finance commission becoming operational from this year , said Surendra Mehra, Conservator of Forest (CF) western circle, while talking to The Pioneer.
However, initially we have demanded about Rs5.5 crore from State Government under the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and other sources to carry out the plantation drive this season, added Mehra. In case no additional fund is granted this year as we used to get earlier, then we will not be able to carry out even the routine soil works ahead for the next year's plantation exercise, maintained the CF, western circle.
The western circle has set a target of carrying out pantation in 2,000 hectare land in its area this monsoon season.All the preparations have been completed to carry out the plantation and sowing of seeds in about 2,000 hectare area of the western circle, said the officials concerned
Mention worthy, the western circle of the Uttrakhand forest department is home to a variety of tree species like 'Gutel', 'Amaltas' Oak, 'Sheesham', Thuner, Tejpat, 'Kaphal' 'Jamun', 'Belpatri', Eucalyptus, Poplar to name a few.