Ghaziabad: Major plantation drive planned along river Hindon on Aug 16

The Meerut divisional commissioner directed for the plantation drive in a meeting held in Ghaziabad to discuss Hindon river revival

Meerut divisional commissioner Dr Prabhat Kumar has asked officials of different districts under him, including Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar, to prepare a plan for a massive plantation drive along the banks of river Hindon on August 15. The commissioner was in Ghaziabad on Thursday and held a detailed meeting regarding Hindon’s clean-up and revival plan.

Officials have been asked to get in touch with gram pradhans, villagers and cultivators in villages located near the river zone and encourage them to participate in the drive. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Officials have been asked to get in touch with gram pradhans, villagers and cultivators in villages located near the river zone and encourage them to participate in the drive, apart from aiding the process of preserving the river banks.

“The officials will get in touch with villagers and seek their participation. We intend to seek their cooperation in the plantation drive. Our aim is not to disturb the cultivators, but ask them to help us plant trees that will protect the land near the river. We estimate that the plantation drive will involve (plantation of) five lakh trees along the river banks in all districts,” said Kumar.

The officer also floated the concept of developing a ‘Smriti Van’ (plantation in memory of someone) by ensuring dense forestry in areas where government land is available along the river. He said people can plant trees in the memory of dead family members and will be awarded certain rights such as performing puja under the tree they have planted. Forest department officials have been asked to arrange for saplings of trees such as neem and sheesham that grow up to seven to eight-feet high.

For the plantation drive, Kumar has also asked agencies such as the irrigation department, the Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) and the municipal corporation to get land demarcated and identify chunks belonging to gram sabhas.

“We plan to identify the land and come up with identification pillars every half a kilometre,” he said.

A similar plan was initiated under the previous SP-led regime, but the plan to free encroached river land from the land mafia could never be carried out fully.