Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 17

To further increase the green cover, nearly 1.75 lakh saplings will be planted in the city this financial year.

UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore today released the “Greening Chandigarh Action Plan, 2021-22”, prepared by the Department of Forests and Wildlife, Chandigarh.

The target of plantation assigned to the Forest Department is 75,000 saplings, for the horticulture wing of the Engineering Department, it is 40,000 saplings and for the Municipal Corporation, it is 60,000 saplings, besides the target of free distribution of saplings among the public in the city.

On the occasion, the Administrator appreciated the work done by the departments and said people of Chandigarh, who were traditionally nature lovers, would whole-heartedly support and participate in the endeavour of the Forest Department in preserving the ecological wealth of the city. He said today being “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought”, was an appropriate day for the release of this action plan for the people of Chandigarh. “This Day particularly focuses on turning degraded land into healthy land. Restoring degraded land brings economic resilience and increases food security. It helps the biodiversity to recover,” he added.

UT Adviser Manoj Parida said in recent years, global warming had shown its adverse effects, due to which the importance of trees had been understood.

Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary (Forests), UT, said forests were the source of wellbeing and recreation.

Debendra Dalai, Chief Conservator of Forest, UT, said the City Beautiful boasted of having preserved 46 per cent of its geographical area under forest and green cover. To further increase the green cover in the UT, the action plan had been prepared. At the end, a short film on the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary was released by the Administrator.