Chandigarh June 14- Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal has directed the officers of the Forest Department to work extensively on the scheme regarding contribution of people in the Intensive Plantation Drive. Chief Minister was presiding over the review meeting of the Plantation Campaign and Geo-Tagging Scheme of the Forest and Wildlife Department here today.

A target has been set to plant three crore saplings in the state this year. Haryana Forest and Wildlife Minister Sh. Kanwar Pal was also present in the meeting.

The Chief Minister said that this year will be known as ‘Oxy-Van Year’ and officers should work with this mindset. During this season, keeping in mind the objective of environmental and water conservation in the state, plantation campaign should be carried out and not only school students but the general public should also be involved in this campaign. The Chief Minister said that the Forest Department should formulate such a scheme that plants are easily available to the common people and are growing near their homes during the rainy season.  He asked to make a plan using technical resources for this so that the saplings can be easily available to the public.

Every plant will be monitored by geo tagging

With the help of geo-tagging scheme, every plant sowed in the state will be monitored. Besides this, to make the scheme successful drone mapping will be done. The Chief Minister directed the officers to work closely in this regard and formulate such a plan which ensures survival of maximum planted saplings.  For this, he asked officers to implement the scheme pursued last year in which the students were involved in the plantation campaign and further asked them to fix the incentive amount so that the children act as care takers of these saplings planted by them at regular intervals.

2,800 villages selected for plantation drive

The Chief Minister was apprised in the meeting that 2,800 villages were selected for plantation drive and has also identified the sites for plantation in these villages.  Apart from this, a detailed report has also been prepared with regard to availability of various varieties of plants in different plant nurseries. In the meeting, information was also given about the number of National Parks and other wildlife sites as well as the forest area in the state.

On this occasion, Principal Secretary, Forest and Wildlife Department, Smt. G. Anupama, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V. Umashankar, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr. Amit Agarwal, PCCF, Sh. Vijay Singh Tanwar and many officers of the department were present.