The Forest Department’s ambitious project to plant eight crore saplings across the State was launched in Mysuru on Saturday in a bid to increase the State’s green cover.
The symbolic launch was marked by planting 101 saplings on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) close to Chamundi Hills by Forest Minister Ramanath Rai while the actual programme to plant the saplings across the State will be held between July 2 and 10.
Though it was initially announced that one crore saplings would be planted, the Minister announced that eight crore saplings were to be planted under the Koti Vruksha Andolana. The Forest Minister said that the Government will pay farmers Rs.45 for each tree that survives for three years at the rate of Rs.10 for the first year, Rs.15 for the second year and Rs.20 for the third year. “The Government is contemplating to increase the amount to be paid for each tree in a bid to encourage more number of farmers to take up tree cultivation,” the Minister added.
Though the National Forest Policy ordains that the forest or tree cover should ideally be 33 per cent of the land mass, the State’s forest cover was hovering around 20 to 22 per cent and such campaigns are expected to raise the green cover in future, according to the Minister. The ambitious project of planting eight crore saplings was announced in the State budget and provisions made for it and was being implemented, said Mr. Rai. Deforestation and erosion of green cover has resulted in global warming and climate change which has affected seasonal pattern and hence it was the collective responsibility of the society to ensure an increase in green cover, he added.
Under the project, 30,000 saplings will be planted in the city apart from 5,000 saplings along the ORR and the authorities will plant 28 lakh saplings in Mysuru district to help shore up the green cover in the district from 16 per cent of the total land area.
While seven lakh saplings will be planted by the Forest Department, 21 lakh saplings will be distributed to institutions, NGOs and individuals to make it a mass movement.
The local MLA, G.T. Devegowda, called for greater emphasis on protecting the saplings planted and recalled that about 50,000 saplings were planted a few years ago but none survived, thus making it a wasteful exercise. Deputy Conservator of Forests Karikalan said emphasis will be on indigenous species and the authorities had enough saplings to meet the target.
Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa and senior officials of the Forest Department were present.
