Bihar to formulate its own forest policy

PATNA: Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, while addressing the divisional forest officers (DFOs) here on Friday, announced that the state government would soon formulate its Forest Policy.

He said that a study group, comprising officials of the environment and forest department, would visit Haryana to gather information on the works done in the field of social forestry region in that state and submit its report to the department so that necessary arrangements for the same could be made in Bihar as well. Modi said that though Haryana does not possess a large forest area, the state has done a commendable job in the field of forestation.

He informed that in Bihar, forestation work would be integrated with the MGNREGA programme to make the programme successful. The deputy CM said that every family of labourers would be given responsibility of protecting 200 plants and would be paid for five years for the purpose with provision of 100 days of wage per year. Modi also said that in Dalit and Mahadalit mohallas, 200 plants of mangoes and other fruits would be planted for which tubewells would also be installed.

He said that the state government for the first time will organize programmes in every district of the state on the occasion of ‘World Environment Day’ on June 5. The programmes would mainly concentrate on three issues, waste disposal management, harm caused by plastic products and increasing pollution in rivers, Modi said and added that mass awareness would be created through such programmes to make the environment clean and safe.