The State government will direct municipal corporations and local bodies to prepare an annual green plan for better management of open spaces, forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has said.
The green plan will be prepared on the lines of the Development Plan (DP) currently being put in place by municipal corporations and councils for management of open and reserved spaces.
Plantation drive
“We will insist that corporations have a tree plantation plan in place for better planning and beautification of open spaces in cities,” the minister said.
Senior officials said the government will issue directives to corporations on how to choose from nearly 156 species of trees for the proposed plantation drive. The selection by the corporations will be based on the types of trees suitable for a particular region.
Mr. Mungantiwar said the government has already achieved the target of planting 13 crore saplings in July.
Other measures to improve green cover include planting of around two crore trees in Nagpur, and setting up of an academy to fight forest fires. A toll-free number — 1926 — is already functional to create awareness on the measures to increase green cover.