Massive plantation drive will be taken up in district Barnala this monsoon season wherein 6 lakh saplings will be planted to ensure increase in green cover. All available government land and patches will be covered with plants.
The work is being done under the Jal Shakti Abhiyaan for increasing green cover and for water conservation and rain water harvesting.
Also wetlands will be set up in the district to maintain better flora and fauna in the region. Deputy Commissioner Barnala Dr Harish Nayar said this while presiding over a special meeting held to discuss ways of enriching environment in the district. The district has set target of planting 6 lakh saplings in the forthcoming monsoon season.
To implement this work effectively, a team has been constituted at the district level that that work on an array of things from making pits to creating inventories of plants to getting them planted. District level control room too regarding the same has been set up wherein employees of district education office and district forest office shall be available from 6 am to 6 pm.
Making the young generation a part of this movement, the school and college students will be roped in.
To begin with, pits will be dug up at the available land in government schools wherein plantation will be undertaken. Around 61000 students will plant 1 lakh saplings in the district. ADC (D) Mr Paramvir Singh added that 100 acres of land has been identified in village Badbar wherein wetland will be created.
Wetlands are known to have richer flora and fauna in diversity than the dry forests. By setting up wetland we shall not only ensure better plants and animals, but also be able to re-charge underground water considerably. Dr JS Bilga consultant horticulturist, JP Meena and Gurnam Singh from Central Pollution Control Board (CPC) Chandigarh, SDM Barnala Gopal Singh, SDM Tapa Sonam Chaudhary, DEO (S) Sarabjit Singh Toor, XEN irrigation Sukhjit Singh, EO MC Barnala Mohit Sharma, EO MC Handiaya Manpreet Singh Sidhu, Rajat Monga from Trident group and others were present.