Green areas to be developed in every city of Haryana, says Manohar Lal Khattar

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, July 19

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said, green areas ‘Oxy Vans’ will be developed across the state and he appealed to the people to take a pledge to protect trees and help the government in increasing the green cover.

Addressing a gathering at a state-level function on the occasion of the 73rd Van Mahotsav at Seonsar Saraswati forest in Pehowa, the CM said so far, ‘Oxy Vans’ had been developed in Panchkula, Karnal, Sonepat and Yamunanagar and more these would be developed across various cities of the state, on 5 to100 acres.

The CM said, “Every year, nearly 2 crore saplings are being planted and after the plantation, protection of the plants is also important. The government has launched various schemes to improve the green cover, including a Rs 2,500 per year pension under the Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme for the maintenance of trees older than 75 years. The Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, will evaluate the age of such trees. An incentive of Rs 10,000 per acre for three years will be given to farmers who adopt agroforestry. The government has also started the Darshan Lal Jain Award for those who work for the protection of environment.”

The Chief Minister said, “In India it was believed that God lived in forests. If we wish to save animals then we have to save the forests.”

“The forest area of the state should be around 20 per cent of the total geographical area, but we are far behind with just around 7.14 per cent area. To increase the green cover, it is very important to plant more trees”, he added and said a plan had been made to plant medicinal plants on the 50,000 acre of the Morni area with the help of Patanjali Yog Peeth. Medicinal plants are useful to us and provide with life-saving medicines. Not only trees, but equal attention has to be paid to save groundwater too.

On the demands raised, the CM announced that the road from Seonasar to Ishaq village would be widened and the feasibility of a grain market at Neemwala village would be checked. Education and Forest Minister Kanwar Pal said the threat to environment was increasing day by day.

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