The Punjab government has decided to take steps to increase the green cover of slum and urban areas in the state on Friday.
Under the state government’s flagship programme ‘Mission Tandrust Punjab’, the state Forest Department has targeted to launch a campaign where around Two Crore saplings will be done.
In a Press statement issued on Friday, Forest minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said, more than 10 Lakh saplings have already been distributed so far.
The minister was presiding over a meeting with senior officers of the Forest department regarding ‘Mission Tandarust Punjab’. He said that in a bid to increase the green cover in the state, various others departments would also be involved in this Mission.
He categorically said that Two Crore saplings would be planted in the areas under Public Works Department (PWD) with the help of non-government organisations, schools, colleges, universities, various government and private offices, Panchayats and Municipal Councils.
“The i-Hariyali mobile app scheme of the department is successfully running and more than 80,000 persons have downloaded this app so far, whereas, we have received 35,000 orders to get different types of saplings,” said the Forest minister.
He said that up till now, Five Lakh saplings have been distributed through this app, whereas, under different schemes more than Five Lakh saplings have been provided to the people.
Dharamsot said that mere planting a sapling is not enough but it should be ensure that a sapling blooms into a tree. He also instructed the officers to prepare the record of those, who received saplings free-of-cost throughout the state to monitor the growth of the plants.