25,000 hectare of land to be brought under forests: Kaul Singh

Mandi, Aug 27 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh Government has drawn up an ambitious plan to cover an additional area of 25,000 hectares of land under forest area during the current financial year in the state, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said.

In Mandi district alone, a sum of Rs 2.20 crore would be spent for conserving and planting new saplings to bring an additional 1,710 hectares of land under forest area, he said at the district level Vanmahotsav at Gawali in Darang constituency of the district.

Mr Thakur said new plantations would also be carried out in 800 hectare of land by planting 8.50 lakh herbal and broad leaf trees in Jogindernagar subdivision of the district.

A World Bank aided Mid-Himalaya project of Rs 540 crore was also being implemented in the state and in the first stage Rs 365 crore were being spent in ten districts of the state, he said.

He said the state government would also provide potable drinking water to 3,000 villages as compared to 1,951 villages covered during the last year.

A sum of Rs 22 crore would be spent on development works in Darang constituency, he added.

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