On the World Environment Day today, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar while highlighting the need for increasing green cover and protecting wildlife, asked the people to plant trees, take selfies and share it.

“Urban forestry is the new thrust area and we will be taking up massive tree plantation drive in as many as 200 cities and towns across the country,” Javadekar said at a function at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai.

He said his Ministry will also launch the Urban Forestry Scheme in Pune, where 6000 saplings will be planted to create an urban jungle on about 80 acres of land.

Noting that in most of the cities there are gardens and parks but no forests, Javadekar said there are many cities where forest department has land but there are no forest on it or are degraded.

“In these places, through people’s participation, we will establish urban forestry,” he said.

Noting that the Green Mission can succeed only through active participation of people, the Environment Minister urged the citizens to plant trees, take a selfie and share their photographs on wedselfie.nic.in.

Drawing attention to this year’s theme of the World Environment Day “Go Wild For Life”, Javadekar underlined the governments resolve for protection of wildlife.

“Government this year began celebrations of World Environment Day by launching Asia’s first Vulture Re-introduction Programme at Pinjore in Haryana,” he said.

“Vultures, the true ‘Swachch Bharat’ volunteers, had become endangered since 1990, after eating carcasses of cattle which were injected with Diclofenac, a pain killer drug. We had more than 4 crore vultures in the country, now not even 4 lakh are left,” he said.

Stressing on wildlife protection, Javadekar asserted that trade in wildlife products should be stopped completely.

He said the Government has initiated proactive measures for protection of wildlife and shoot-at-sight orders given to armed guards at Kaziranga National Park in Assam had resulted in the death of 24 poachers.

Javadekar made an appeal to the people not to buy any product made from body parts of a wild animal.

“If there is no market for these products, poaching will end automatically,” he said.

The Minister, later burnt the confiscated wildlife products in the open, to send a message to end the wildlife trafficking.

On the occasion, Javadekar also released a leaflet ‘Living With The Leopards’ which would be beneficial for the residents of North Mumbai, suburbs adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park area, where incidents of leopard entering housing colonies are frequently reported.