UP govt aims to develop every village as ‘Green Village’

Uttar Pradesh aims for 15% green cover by 2030, transforming villages into 'Green Villages' with community-led Green Chaupals for plantation and awareness.

In a bid to combat environmental challenges and to work towards increasing Uttar Pradesh’s green cover to 15% by 2030, the state government aims to transform every village into a ‘Green Village’.

The govt is working towards increasing Uttar Pradesh’s green cover to 15% by 2030. (For Representation)

Green Chaupals will be organised in every village to ensure community participation. These chaupals will be chaired by the village head and held on third Friday of every month, said a press statement issued by state government on Saturday.

The chaupals will coordinate in planning and implementation of gram panchayat-wise plantation micro plans and protection of planted sapling along with plantation on vacant land available in the gram panchayat.

Green Chaupal members will focus on raising awareness to curb man-animal conflict in coordination with the forest staff. The Green Chaupal will be led and conducted by the gram pradhan, with section/beat officer serving as member secretary and the gram panchayat officer as coordinator.

Members will include three gram panchayat members, including at least one woman, one woman from a self-help group, the village primary school headmaster, an Anganwadi assistant, an employment assistant, a progressive farmer, an environmentalist or NGO representative, and a member of the biodiversity management committee.

Village school teachers and students will also be educated on these themes. The district plantation committee will monitor the progress of Green Chaupal activities, said a press statement. To address human-wildlife conflict, awareness campaigns will be conducted with additional focus on establishing and managing a Gram Harit Nidhi (Village Green Fund).