The district administration, against the backdrop of World Environment Day to be celebrated on June 5, has resolved to make villages green by enhancing the envelope of trees. Under the initiative, 100 saplings will be planted in each village and 200 within the jurisdiction of municipal corporations and municipal councils. District Collector Dilip Swami has directed the concerned officers to prepare a planned programme to implement the project.
A meeting of all Deputy District Collectors, Tehsildars, and officers from Social Forestry and other departments was convened on Tuesday to discuss the issue. ZP CEO Ankit, Divisional Forest Officer Kirti Jamdade, Deputy Conservator of Forest Suvarna Mane, and others were present through the video conferencing system. Resident Deputy District Collector Sangeeta Rathod, Deputy Divisional Forest Officer Santosh Garad, Neelam Bafna, and others were also present.
Swami said the plantation campaign should be implemented under the name ‘Alert Citizen and Prosperous Nature’ between June 5 and 15. On the first day of the campaign, a tree procession should be organised, and five saplings will be planted in each village in the district. Each Grampanchayat has been given the target of planting 100 saplings, and each municipal corporation and municipal council 200 saplings. The saplings should be planted in schools, colleges, anganwadis, government hospitals, government offices, and open spaces where water is easily available. Preference will be given to planting 25 saplings in the crematoriums in villages, he said.
Block Development Officers will make necessary planning for implementing the campaign, and the saplings should be planted by Tehsildars, Taluka Agriculture Officers, Block Development Officers, Forest Officers, and other officers. Presently, the Forest Department has 2.83 lakh saplings, and the Social Forestry Department has 1.50 lakh saplings, totaling 4.33 lakh saplings, the officers informed.