Employees of the Raj Bhavan joined the Governor in planting saplings of various species, a Raj Bhavan release said here.

Lauding the state government's effort in plantation works, she appealed to the people to make it a success and plant fruit-bearing saplings.

She urged people to plant saplings on the occasions of marriages, birthdays and other ceremonies to make them memorable.

Meanwhile, at a seminar titled 'Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources', Urban Development Minister C P Singhalso pitched for plantation in a big way and asked the organisations to organise such seminars at school level.

Stating that the state government has planned for plantation of one crore sapling, Singh said Jharkhand is endowed with abundant greenery and rules should be implemented sternly to preserve it.

Chief Secretary Raj Bala Verma pitched for 'jan andolan' (people's movement) to protect the environment, connecting everyone.

Under the 'Namami Gange' programme, she said plantation work would begin along five of the 83 km-stretch along Sahibganj and Raj Mahal this fiscal.

Principal Secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Sukhdeo Singh said 950 square km forest has increased since the state's creation.

He said earlier plantations were done in forest areas while now it has also been decided to cover non-forest areas and Rs 70 crore has been marked under the 'Jan Van programme' for roadside and institutional plantations.