Forest Dept’s bid to enhance survival rate of saplings

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, November 24

The Forest Department will soon devise a strategy to enhance the survival rate of saplings planted during the rainy season every year.

The survival rate of the saplings was not included in the plantation brochure until a few years ago and its success was about 65 per cent in the state.

The saplings are planted under various schemes such as compensatory afforestation under the state plan, Centrally sponsored and World Bank-aided projects during the rainy seasons every year.

A field official said regular monitoring and guidance during the plantation stage was of utmost importance for ensuring the survival of the plants. He said rearing of nurseries and using plants of taller species yielded better results.

Once the maintenance is withdrawn, the saplings survive on the basis of their initial care and this determines the actual success rate. While a large number of saplings fail to grow beyond a certain level, it not only defeats the purpose of undertaking sapling plantation but also makes it a mere cursory exercise undertaken to complete formalities.

Since a separate budget is reserved for the exercise under various schemes, ensuring a good survival rate would also mean apt use of the budget.

Anil Joshi, Conservator (Forests), Bilaspur circle, said though the survival rate of the saplings was 85-90 per cent in the first year, it gradually declined in the next few years. He said issues such as type of species, soil type, moisture content and altitude should be taken into account while devising plantation drives as against the usual technique of planting specific number of trees on a given piece of land.

The Principal Conservator of Forests, SP Vasudeva, said he would meet officials to chalk out a strategy.