PATNA: Bihar is going all out to expand green cover in the state. The state government has set out an ambitious plan to plant 10 crore trees over the next five years, in order to increase the forest cover of the state.
After bifurcation of Bihar, the state has a poor 9.89% forest cover. The total forest and green cover area of the state is 7178 square km, against its geographical area of 94,163 square km, which is just 0.84% of the country’s forest cover.
The plantation drive would be carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ( MNREGA) scheme. The plants would be tended by BPL households. After the scheme is completed in 2015, the state’s forest cover is expected to go up by 15%.
The government has taken the cue from a successful experiment carried out by a bureaucrat. Tirhut divisional commissioner SM Raju had managed to plant 96 lakh trees in a single day on August 30, 2009. He had enlisted participation of three lakh people in 7,500 villages spread over five districts in this effort.
Students of class VI to class X are also being involved in the scheme. They will be organized into Eco Clubs and each club will be asked to plant trees. The students will also take care of the plants, for which each school boy would be given Rs 100 per year.
Besides, the state JD-U has decided to chip in the effort. It would enroll one lakh members, who would plant one tree each.