5 lakhs trees planted across Jharkhand, 50,000 in Jamshedpur on a single day to mark Van Mahotsava⁴
Ranchi, Jul 13: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday said that plantation drive will be undertaken on the vacant government land in the state and apart from that the forest department will be also distributing fruit-bearing trees among the people to spread awareness towards the environment.
Participating in the 72nd Van Mahotsava programme organised by the Forest Environment and Climate Department at Gandhigram, Mahespur in Angara block of Ranchi, Hemant Soren said that forest hills and rivers are the honour of the state and if they come to an end the honour of the state will itself come to an end and directed the forest department to roll out plantation drives on all unused and vacant government land to boost the state’s green lungs and conserve the ecology.
A total of five lakhs saplings were planted in all the 24 districts of Jharkhand with Ranchi alone accounting for 1 lakh trees. As per the latest Indian State of Forest Report- 2019 (a biennial exercise) Jharkhand forest cover had increased by 65 sq km and since the creation of the state our forest cover has increased by 1625 sq km. Jamshedpur forest division saw plantation of 50,000 saplings comprising a mixture of fruit bearing and shed bearing tree varieties at a function organised in Beko under Mango forest range with Jugsalai MLA Mangal Kalindi being the chief guest under the supervision of DFO Jamshedpur Mamta Priyadarshi.
He said that instead of talking about environmental protection there was a need to realise the goals on the ground.
The Chief Minister said that people needed to realise the importance of forests as if the ecological balance will not be maintained then ultimately people will have to pay the price as pandemic and other incidents are not giving a good indication for the future. The Chief Minister said that in the name of development hills and mines are being dug up while forests are being cleared for infrastructure development and Industries. The Chief Minister said that human civilisation has been born around the water bodies which have also shown the path of progress.
He said that Ranchi has many ponds and dams but the growing concrete forests are not a good indication. He said that if the people will not become serious about protecting these water bodies then people will have to bear serious consequences. On the occasion, the Chief Minister was presented a plant of ‘Rudraksh’ by PCCF Jharkhand, P. K Verma.
He added that the government was already running a plantation scheme titled CM Van Jan Bhumi Yojana under which anyone can begin plantation of fruit-bearing trees on private (raiyati) lands. “The government is providing incentive and assistance of up to 75% of the total cost of plantation. The person on whose land plantation is done will continue to be the owner of those plants/trees,” he explained.
Expressing concern over issues such as global warming, melting of glaciers, drying up of rivers, choking of dams and the like, Hemant said that only by everyone’s cooperation, humanity can be saved from the vagaries of such calamities.
In a symbolic gesture, the chief minister also provided saplings to five van-samitis and planted a sapling at Getalsud.
Those present on the occasion included Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Prasad Sahu, Khijri MLA Rajesh Kacchap and other senior officers.
