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West Bengal Forest department makes elaborate plans for Van Mahotsav
The West Bengal Forest department has chalked out an elaborate plan to celebrate the week long ‘Van Mahotsav’, starting from today,July 14, through various programmes.
The main purpose of the event is to spread awareness about the plantation of trees among people throughout the state.
The state forest department will distribute around two crore saplings to various schools, colleges and other institutions and even to defence installations free of cost.
The saplings will also be distributed among the MLAs so that they plant trees in the areas they were elected from. This will encourage more people to participate in the tree plantation festival.
The forest department has also decided to distribute gas cylinders to the forest-dependent people –living in the forest and its adjoining areas – who collect logs from the forest and use them as fuel for cooking and other domestic purposes.
Apart from this, different types of forest produce will be given to the forest dwellers at discount rates during the Van Mahotsav.
State Forest Minister Binay Krishna Barman said that the programmes will be organised at all block levels and forest rangers at various areas will distribute saplings to the people. Blood donation camps will be organised in various places to encourage participation of the youth and books will be distributed among students free of costs.
“Last year, we had planted 1.80 crore saplings throughout the state, while around 54,000 saplings were distributed by our department.
This year also we have a target to plant more than 2 crore saplings, by involving students from various schools, colleges and other institutions.
Around 1000 saplings will be distributed among the MLAs. Forest-dwellers will be distributed various forest produces at highly discounted rates during this period,” Barman said.
The event will be observed by means of various programmes in the city. The forest department has already given a lot of stress on afforestation throughout the state.
Through the celebration of Van Mahotsav, the department is trying to reach out to a large number of people and encourage them to take part in the programmes. Various awareness programmes on planting trees have already been initiated in different parts of the state.
The event will be observed at Eco Park in New Town on July 14, while Van Mohotsav will be celebrated in other parts of the state by planting trees and holding various awareness programmes.
The state Forest department will plant 40,000 saplings in New Town. Ten thousand pits have been dug and they will require two days of rain to fill up, after which planting of saplings on a massive scale will begin from July 25.
Neem, tentul and other varieties of trees will be planted all over New Town, which will soon become a ‘green city’.
