76% of saplings planted in Maharashtra last year have survived, claims government

Mumbai city news: Last year, the state government planted 2.82 crore saplings on a single day and earned a place in the Limca Book of Records

Last year, various departments of the state government and social organisations planted 2.82 crore saplings on a single day — July 1 — and earned a place in the Limca Book of Records. Now, the government claims that 2.14 crore or 76% of them have survived.

The government aims to plant four crore saplings this year and 50 crore by 2019. (HT)

The government aims to plant four crore saplings this year and 50 crore by 2019.

Of the 2.15 crore saplings planted by the forest department, 81.70% survived, while the rest planted by other departments and social organisation had a survival rate of 65% to 70%, claimed the government.

Trees planted in Buldhana and Gadchiroli, which have dense forests, had the highest survival rates — 92.96% and 94.56%. In Mumbai’s suburbs, only 3,503 of 5,000 saplings (70.06%) survived. South Mumbai was not part of the drive owing to space constraints.

Drought-hit Marathwada recorded a survival rate of 68.79%.

In Osmanabad, Latur and Beed, which were worst hit by drought from 2013 to 2016, only 50% of the saplings survived.

“The survival rate of saplings planted in Maharashtra is usually between 40% and 45%. With the help the MGNREGA scheme and strict monitoring by the forest department, we improved it substantially,” said an official from the forest department.

Maharashtra plantation drive: 3 crore saplings to be planted on July 1

With 11 crore saplings ready, Maharashtra targets 4 crore plantations this year