Ranchi/Gumla, The Jharkhand government on Friday launched a forest conservation drive under which rakhis will be tied to 1 lakh trees across the state, an official said.
The initiative was launched by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjiv Kumar, who tied a rakhi to a Sal tree in Jorag village in Gumla district.
"As part of the save tree drive, villagers, forest officials and staff will jointly tie rakhis to 1 lakh trees in 700 villages across 24 districts. The drive will continue for a month with a target of tying rakhis to 3 lakh trees in identified villages," Kumar said.
He said the campaign seeks to create an emotional connect between villagers and forests.
"Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of trust and the unbreakable bond between siblings. We share a similar bond with nature. So, it is our duty to protect the environment. The campaign aims to engage people with nature emotionally," he said.
A brainchild of Kumar, the initiative was first taken in 2004 in a once Maoist-affected village, Lukaiya in Tundi block of Dhanbad district.
Since then, more than 12,000 villages have been linked to this programme across the state, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Since then, more than 12,000 villages have been linked to this programme across the state, he said.
{{/usCountry}}"Through this initiative, more than 20,000 Mahua trees were protected in the Lukaiya village. These trees have now been significantly contributing to villagers' livelihoods. This is not the only case. The campaign helped many villages grow minor forest produce, adding to villagers' livelihoods," he said.
Kumar claimed the initiative has played a significant role in increasing the state's forest cover.
According to the Forest Survey of India , Jharkhand's forest cover has increased by 1,128 sq km over the past two decades, from 22,637 sq km in 2001 to 23,765.78 sq km in 2023.
The state's forest cover accounted for 29.76 per cent of its total geographical area, as per the FSI report of 2023.
Of the total forest cover, 2,635.35 sq km was classified as very dense forest, 9,640.99 sq km as moderately dense forest and 11,489.44 sq km as open forest, it said.
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