Reacting positively to the dwindling green cover of the State, the Government has taken a pledge to plant at least one crore saplings over a period of one year. The drive is expected to up the forestation which has come down from 30 per cent limit set.
In an event organised on the ‘World Environment Day’, Chandreshwar Prasad Singh, Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Transportation said that the Government has targeted plantation of 10 million trees in next year and the process for it is already underway. He also said that those violating rules will not be spared at all.
In the event themed ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources’ and organised by Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB), Singh said, “The Government is doing whatever it can do in order to save environment. But citizens have a larger role to play and they will have to come forward for conservation of the environment”.
Worried over decreasing forested area, Singh said, “We were people of one of the most densely forested states in the country. But now situation is totally different. Now whatever forest we see in Jharkhand is a result of immense love of tribal people of Jharkhand for their water, forest and land, and we must thank them for this.” He also advised to conduct events like this at school and college levels, so that children learn these things in school and apply them at their homes.
Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma said on the occasion that government was doing its job for conservation of the environment. She said, “Our ancestors understood the importance of nature and environment for us, and they handed over an excellent earth with full of forests and rivers to us. Now it is our responsibility to hand over at least similar if not enhanced, environment to coming generations.”
The CS said that construction of around 2 lakhs Dobha will be completed by end of this month, and Ministry of Water resources has been constructing 2,500 large Dobha. She said that government will take strict actions against anyone who will be found destructing environment. She said that a plantation work along 83 Km stretch of Ganga in Jharkhand will be done between Sahibganj and Rajmahal under Namami Gange project of the government of India.
Also present there were Sukhdev Singh, Principal Secretary, AK Rastogi, Special Secretary, Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, DD Sharma, Chairman, JSPCB and AK Prabhakar, Principal Chief Forest Conservator of Forest among others.
JSPCB also launched an Android based mobile application called OCMMS for industries and members of Chambers. Now members can apply online through this app, and can also show the status of their application. JSPCB and Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change also released their books related to conservation of forest and environment.
