Raipur city will comprise a total of 250 acres of green field as per its ‘Smart City Mission’ plans proposed by the Raipur Municipal Corporation.
Chief Minister Raman Singh has also accorded in-principle approval for formation of a separate ‘Tree Plantation Forest Circle’ under Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) for ensuring organised plantation work in the new administrative capital last year.
The proposal for plantation work in Naya Raipur would be examined and an appropriate decision would be taken, the Chief Minister stated in a meeting held at his residence in Raipur last year. The proposal was put forward by NRDA.
Singh stated that Naya Raipur is being developed in an area of 237 square kilometres and it is necessary that the people living in the new capital would need a green environment.
It is our priority to develop Naya Raipur as a ‘Green City’, he said.
During the meeting, the scientists from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru made a presentation to suggest ways of greening Naya Raipur.
The Chief Minister also held discussions with the scientists and the NRDA officials on preparing an action plan for the greening project for the new administrative capital.
The scientists making the presentation in the meeting said that Naya Raipur which is being developed as the city of the 21st century would be unique in the sense that the green belt, botanical garden and the Eco park would be under a single umbrella.
They also suggested to develop green patches in the residential zones.
Singh had directed the Forest Department officials to come out with an elaborate Action Plan for an intensive plantation drive to be taken up in the entire State under Hariyar Chhattisgarh ( Green Chhattisgarh) drive before arrival of monsoons.
As per the allotted target, in the year 2015, the Forest Department will plant 5 crore saplings of different species and the Forest Development Corporation will plant 1 crore saplings, whereas, other departments will jointly plant the remaining 2.02 crore saplings.
Notably, the State government last year had decided to have all its river banks lined with trees during the coming years in a bid to ensure a greener Chhattisgarh besides protecting the environment in an era of negative impact of climate change.
Singh has provided special emphasis on saplings to be planted on the river banks , officials informed.
Eighty forest management committees and villages are being linked to the Green India Mission. The forest circles are Kawardha, Bilaspur, Marwahi, Katgora, Bastar, Kanker, South Kondagaon, Raipur, North Sarguja and South Sarguja.
The Forest Department officers had informed that the landscape of forest mandals were demarcated. An awareness campaign, landscape survey, basic information, soil and water protection etc are undertaken during the first year.
Chief Minister Raman Singh during the early months of 2014 had directed officials to prepare a Rs 3,200-crore action plan for the next five years from the funds to be received from Centre’s ‘Campa Fund’. A Rs 600-crore action plan would be prepared for each year, he said.
About Rs 3,200 crore ‘State Campa Fund’ is currently available with the Central government.
Singh had also directed to launch a special drive for planting trees on the sides of road from Mainpat in Surguja and Jagadalpur to Chitrakot Waterfalls.
He had directed to plant only one variety of saplings on one road, with which not only the beauty of the road would be enhanced, but it would get a new identification also.
The State government had set a target of planting 7.58 crore saplings of different species under “Harier Chhattisgarh Abhiyan” (Green Chhattisgarh Campaign) in the State during 2014.
Moreover , the Chief Minister in June last year while chairing a meeting had expressed annoyance over the industrial organisations not completing their target for planting saplings given in 2013 while stating that now they would not have the freedom to plant saplings on their own.
The industrial organisations were asked to deposit the amount prescribed by the State government to the State Forest Development Corporation for planting of saplings.
Singh had stated that industrial organisations have the social responsibility of making the environment pollution free.
The Chief Minister had asked senior officers of Forest Department to take the ‘Green Chhattisgarh Campaign’ seriously and to ensure better care of saplings to be planted under the campaign.
He had stated that any kind of carelessness at any level would not be tolerated.
Singh had stressed on making the State greener for creating a healthy environment.
The objective of ‘Harihar Chhattisgarh Abhiyan’ should be to create jobs and a permanent source of income for people, Singh had stated.
He had declared a target to plant 20 lakh saplings during the next four years to enhance greening of Naya Raipur region.
In July last year, Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand had asked the industrial houses operating in Chhattisgarh to complete the plantation target assigned to them by the State government under its ‘Green Chhattisgarh’ campaign.
Reviewing the work underway in the State to meet the plantation targets, the Chief Secretary had also urged the industrialists to plant fruit bearing and shade providing trees such as Mango, Tamarind, Neem, Jamun, Bel, Peepal , Amla, Mahua Karanj etc alongside roads .
He told them not to plant Chatim or Saptaparni trees at any cost.
If the industrial units plan to take up some other place for plantation, they need to consult the concerned District Collector and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), the Chief Secretary said.