Minister of State for Municipal Administration Eshwar Khandre launched a tree plantation initiative at Nittur-Bujurg village in Bhalki taluk on Friday. He asked the people to realise the link between reducing green cover and climate extremes like droughts and floods.
The pilot project has been created by using funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the Vana Mahotsava scheme of the Forest and Horticulture departments.
The zilla panchayat will motivate households to grow fruit, flower and timber trees in their backyard. Each household will get five saplings for free. The head of the family will get Rs. 448 to dig pits in his or her backyard under the MNREGA. Water from their bathrooms will be fed to the plants.
A village of 9,000 people plans to plant at least 7,000 plants this way. Over 1,000 of the 1,800 households have expressed interest in the scheme. By Friday evening, gram panchayat officers had completed distributing 4,000 saplings to households. “With the kind of positive response we are getting, we may need more saplings,” Shivanand Aurade, panchayat development officer, said. He said that the panchayat, and other departments would plant trees in public spaces like government premises, schools, hospitals, parks and burial grounds.
S.S. Baragimath, Deputy Director of Horticulture, said that they had shortlisted seven types of trees including mango, amla, sapota, drumstick, rose and jasmine to be given away to families. Forest officials are distributing neem, pongemian, cashew, teak, and other species. “These varieties are less popular with families. We are likely to plant them on public spaces and on the road sides,” a forest officer said.
“The advantage of this scheme over others is that the survival rate of plants will increase as families are bound to protect the saplings,” Pavan Kumar Malpati, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer, said. “We chose Nittur-B village as the gram panchayat members were forthcoming. First, officials held three meetings with members. Then, the members went door to door to convince families to plant trees. That is what makes us confident of the scheme’s success,” he added.
