Tree plantation drive begins

NASHIK: The district administration has started the 100-crore plantation programme following good rain in the western parts of Nashik. However, the drive is yet to pick up in the eastern parts of the district because of lack of rainfall there.
Till Tuesday, Nashik district received 16.85% of its annual rainfall. The rainfall has picked up after July 15. The district had received only 6.46% rainfall till then.
"There has been good rainfall in the western parts that has led to the tree plantation drive. Ideally, the plantation programme should have been conducted from June 5, but since monsoon was delayed, it was stopped due to unavailability of water. Many villages in the districts are being supplied drinking water by tankers," said an official from the district collectorate.
All parts of the district have received rainfall since July 18. While the district has received 37% of the average rainfall for the month of July, Nandgaon, Sinnar and Yeola talukas have received less than 20% of their average rainfall for the month. Malegaon taluka has received 77% of average rainfall for July, while the tribal belts on the western side of the district have received almost 45% rainfall in the last seven days.
The tree plantation activity has started in Nandgaon and Yeola talukas but it lacks pace. "The plantation in these areas has started on a very small scale. The situation is still far from better. It will be some time before the activity is taken up on the full scale," the officer said.
The target for this year under the 100-crore plantation drive has been fixed at 70.13 lakh, which is nine lakhs lesser than the target set for 2013-14. In 2012-13, the target was 4.9 crore, which was later revised to 1.47 crore by the state government. The district achieved merely 46% of the target.