In order to maintain green tag to Ranchi and balance overall environment amid declining forest cover, Department of Forest and Environment has planned to commence a massive plantation drive across the State during this monsoon season. The drive would be apart from ambitious plantation promotion scheme-CM Jan Van Yojna, running in all districts of Jharkhand.
“We have planned to plant and provide 10 lakh saplings this monsoon season to contribute to the plantation drive. As far as the plantation of trees around highways in and around the city is concerned we have projected to put up around 10,000 trees,” informed Rl Bakshi, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Ranchi.
The Department has eyed for fruit bearing varieties on the highway with regard to the change in agro forestry practices in plantation in the State, as informed by the officials concerned.
“All the saplings are being provided to the common public and also the organizations as per their necessities, on subsidized rates.
Common saplings can be bought at Rs 5 per plant while the fruit bearing trees the rate is Rs 15 per sapling,” added Rl Bakshi.
Various techniques of plantation of seeds are used like the public and private nurseries around the city have seen a rise in their business with the initiation of the plantation drive in the state.
“For the distribution of plant saplings we have collaborated with the government nurseries around the State so as to provide people with bulk of saplings in an organised way. We have plant nurseries located in Mahilong, Burmu, Mandar and Dhurwa that are fully equipped with the number of plants as we have estimated,” he further added.
With the onset of monsoon, the obsession for flowering and ornamental plants rises not only among various organizations but among individuals too.
The saplings of mango, guava, sal, gulmohar, neem and mahogany are the most popular ones that are being brought from the nurseries in the city.
“The plan to use choppers to disperse seeds during the monsoon season in the far-fetched hilly areas is still on but we have a lot to work upon in order to execute that,” said Rl Bakshi about the Department’s plan to take help of helicopters for scattering seeds in the highly improbable regions of barren hills and lands in different parts of the State.
So far more than 15 hilly areas have been distinguished where the saplings are to be planted as part of the plantation drive.
The plantation drive is expected to be fully in action from next month.