Punjab targets to increase forest cover to 15 per cent by 2020

The Punjab government has chalked out a comprehensive programme to increase the forest cover of the state to 15 per cent by 2020 and approved an allocation of Rs 700 crore for the execution of the plan.

The Punjab government has chalked out a comprehensive programme to increase the forest cover of the state to 15 per cent by 2020 and approved an allocation of Rs 700 crore for the execution of the plan.

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Stating this here on Thursday, Punjab's forests minister Chunni Lal Bhagat said, "The state government is expected to soon ink a MoU with Japan for technological tie-up for the ambitious project. The forest cover of the state would witness a steady increase of 8 per cent from 7 per cent and by the year 2020 the state would achieve the target of 15 per cent forest cover, he said.

Bhagat stated, "Under this project focus would be on plantation of trees whose growth rate is very fast."

He said that when the MoU is finalised, Japan would provide technological back up for plantation of these species of trees.