Videograph plantation to maintain record, staff told

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 18

The Forest Department will undertake videography and still pictures of the land where new plantation or removal of lantana and other weeds is done so as to ensure that there is no fudging of figures and the survival rate of the saplings is good.

With the survival rate of the plantation undertaken by the Forest Department at times being even below 10 per cent, it has now been decided to ensure appropriate selection of the species and that too only after proper soil testing to ensure suitability of the land.

“We have issued directions to the staff that videography and still pictures of the land where plantation is to be done must be taken before and after the plantations so that there is proper record,” said Tarun Sridhar, Additional Chief Secretary (Forests). He added that besides this, pictures and video wouldbe taken once every year to update the records.

The same exercise of maintaining documentary evidence will be adopted even in case of removal of lantana and other weeds, to reclaim the land under such species. Huge amounts are spent every year for removal of weeds by the Forest Department.

He said rather than undertaking plantation of any species, due care would be taken to have a mixed plantation which had coniferous, broad leaved, medicinal and fruit-bearing plants. “The staff will select the species only after getting proper soil testing done so that the site is suited for that species,” he said.

Though the Forest Department undertakes a major plantation drive, especially in the monsoons, little attention is paid to ensure the survival of the saplings, a fact that even senior officials admit.

“It is a fact that the survival of saplings planted with the involvement of the local community, including local panchayat, schools, mahila mandal, youth clubs and NGOs, is invariably higher than where only the Forest Department is involved,” said Sridhar.

Senior officials said undertaking plantation had become more of a ritual, with nobody bothering about the survival of the plants.

Several NGOs are also part of this exercise with there being practically no after care of the saplings which need protection and proper care. Saplings that are planted are reared in the nurseries of the Forest Department only and as such little attention are paid towards ensuring its survival.