The State government has decided to permit construction of rain water harvesting pits and check dams in forest across the State, Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna said here on Friday.
Inspecting the nurseries being raised by the Forest Department, he said the forest cover in the State was 23% and efforts were being made to make it 33% and as part of that the government had taken up Haritha Haram programme in a big way. The survival rate of plants was 90% in rural areas and very low in urban areas.
There was severe water shortage in urban areas, he noted. “Raising plants is social responsibility and government alone cannot do. People should cooperate and take part in big way,” he said.
Choice of trees
Mr. Ramanna said there were 150 crore trees in forest and plans are being made to plant an additional 100 crore trees. The government would give plants to all people and accord top priority to avenue plantation.
If people desired a particular type of tree, they would be supplied such saplings by bringing them from other nurseries, the Minister said.
District Collector A. Devasena said they were trying to secure permission from patta owners of vacant lands to plant trees. She urged people to come forward and make the programme a grand success.
