E-Paper
U.P.’s go green plan with Nepal, 8 states
Saplings of trees that matter to U.P.’s neighbours will be planted during upcoming plantation season starting in July
Uttar Pradesh has planned to plant saplings of trees that matter to its neighbours, including Nepal and eight states with which it shares border, and ensure their upkeep in the upcoming plantation season starting next month.
Sample this: Sacred fig is the national tree of Nepal that will be planted at places on the Indo-Nepal border. Agra that touches Rajasthan will have state tree— Khejri (Prosopis cineraria)—of Rajasthan.
“The initiative has been planned to bring close U.P.’s neighbours to join hands for plantation. We plant a variety of saplings that give shade or nutritional food when they grow up and this year we will include saplings of trees that matter for our neighbours too,” said a senior forest department officer.
Uttar has a target of planting 35 crore saplings this year during the annual plantation drive and 54 crore saplings are ready for plantation in the nurseries. Neem, drumstick, sheesham, bamboo, jamun, imli, Arjuna and other varieties will be planted by forest and 25 other departments.
The forest and climate change department will plant 14 crore saplings while other departments will collectively plant 21 crore saplings.
Lalitpur district will have pockets where plantation will include banyan tree along with saplings of other species. In Sonbhadra and Chandauli districts that touch Bihar border, plantation will include peepal saplings in particular. Many of these saplings being selected for border areas are grown in U.P. too.
Uttar Pradesh shares borders with eight states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana. Hence, in several districts, state tree of other states will also be planted along with species popular in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh’s total green cover is 9.23% of the total land area and it aims to take it to 15%.
