Punjab Newsline, Shimla-
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed the Forest Department to prepare a comprehensive roadmap to increase forest cover in Himachal Pradesh to 31 percent by the year 2030. Presiding over a review meeting of the Forest Department here today, the Chief Minister said that the present forest cover in the State stands at 29.5 percent and needs to be enhanced in a planned and sustainable manner.
The Chief Minister said that global warming has emerged as a major challenge worldwide and its adverse effects were clearly visible. Keeping this in view, the present State Government was according high priority to environmental conservation. He said that about 16,376 square kilometers of area in Himachal was snow-covered, barren or mountainous, where plantation was not feasible. Therefore, the Forest Department should identify potential areas in each district suitable for plantation and prepare a phased plantation plan accordingly. He also emphasized the plantation of native species, fruit-bearing plants and plants with medicinal value.
Sukhu stressed that the department should focus not only on creating new forests but also on protecting existing ones, while ensuring active participation of local people and communities. He said that the State Government has launched the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana’ to promote community participation in forest plantation and conservation in the State. Under the scheme, plantation was carried out over 924.9 hectares during the previous year. A total of 285 Mahila Mandals, 70 Yuvak Mandals, 59 Self Help Groups and 13 community-based organizations actively contributed to this initiative. He added that under the scheme, the State Government was providing financial assistance of Rs. 2.40 lakh for plantation over two hectares to these groups, along with annual incentives linked to survival rates of plantations. The scheme has received an encouraging response from the targeted groups.
The Chief Minister further stated that a target has been set to undertake plantation over 5,000 hectares in the next financial year under the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana. Of this, 3,376 hectares have already been identified, while the process of identifying the remaining 1,624 hectares was underway. He also reviewed the progress of other schemes being implemented by the Forest Department.
Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pant, PCCF (HoFF) Sanjay Sood and other senior officers of the Forest Department were present in the meeting.