Encouraged by the success of ‘Hariyali Mission’in Bihar, the state government has decided to plant ten crore saplings over the next five years to increase its green cover from 9.79 to 15 percent, an official said in Patna on Wednesday.
“Ten crore saplings would be planted across the state under the green mission to increase the green cover”, Brajesh Mehrotra, secretary, cabinet coordination department, said.
Mehrotra said that state cabinet Tuesday approved the proposal to cover all districts under the green mission from the current fiscal.
Till date only five districts were covered under the green mission.
He said the trees and saplings planted by farmers in different districts, which were not part of the green mission, will be included in the agro-forestry plan of 2013-14.
Under the scheme, more than 5 crore popular saplings and nearly 5 crore other varieties will be planted.
Farmers and locals will be paid some amount as incentives to ensure the survival of the saplings, another forest official said.
Undivided Bihar had a forest cover of 17 percent. The state now stands sixth from the bottom in forest cover in the country.
However, an increase of 41sqkm of forest cover between 2009 and 2011 has been recorded, a forest official stated.
According to India State of Forest Report, 2011, based on the analysis of satellite data prepared by Forest Survey of India, the total forest cover in Bihar has increased from 6,804 sqkm in 2009 to 6,845 sqkm in 2011.
This assumes significance because a loss of 3 sqkm in total forest cover was reported in the state in the last FSI biennial survey (2007- 2009).
