Planting 10 crore saplings a herculean task
KUNDAN RAJPUT
NASHIK :
The Corona crisis has severely hit all the sectors, and an ambitious statewide forestation drive is no exception to it. Due to lack of funds, this year’s target to plant 10 crore tree saplings in the state seems unattainable. Even early preparations like digging pits for tree plantation, preparing seedlings in nurseries could not be completed before the onset of monsoon due to inevitable COVID-19 lockdown.
The Thackeray-led Mahavikas Aghadi had also decided to plant 50 crore tree saplings in five years – the target which was set by previous Fadnavis government. Accordingly, ten crore trees were to be planted across the state this year.
After the Mahavikas Aghadi government came to power in the state, former forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar was questioned about setting a target to plant 50 crore tree saplings in five years. However, the present govt renamed the BJP government’s tree planting campaign as Krantiveer Vasantrao Naik Hareet Abhiyan. However due to the pandemic, this year’s target just remained on the paper.
The pits are dug in three crucial months of January to March 31 every year as a pre-preparation for tree plantation. Billions of seedlings are produced in government nurseries for planting. Each district administration is then given a tree plantation target. But this year, the campaign has been locked down due to the present crisis.
The COVID-19-19 crisis surfaced in March. Digging pits involves collective work. Therefore, this work could not be processed further owing to social distancing norms.
Also the seedlings were not being prepared in the nurseries. Even the forest minister could not set a target for tree planting before the district administration.
The pits are dug till March 31. Seedlings are recorded at the nurseries. After receiving tree plantation target from the forest department, different tree sapling plantation targets are given to different government departments including public forestry, municipal corporation, schools and other departments in the district. This year, however, due to the Corona crisis, the forest ministry has not set any target for tree plantation before the district.
– Pallavi Nirmal, deputy district collector, EGS
Tree plantation programme :
– Digging pits from January to March 31
– Preparation of plants in nurseries from March to June
– Tree plantation from 1st July to 30th September
– Each office is mandatorily required to spend 5% of the funds for tree plantation
– Conservation of trees from October
– Reporting of surviving trees every three months.
The state is facing a severe corona crisis and the entire system is working against it. 10 crore trees were to be planted in the current year. But due to COVID-19 lockdown, it is not possible to plant a large number of saplings. However, from July 1, all the departments will plant trees in small quantities.
– Sanjay Rathod, State forests minister
