Haryana brings 19,600 hectares land under green cover

Chandigarh, May 31 (UNI) In Haryana, an area of more than 19,600 hectares has been brought under plantation at a cost of Rs 43 crore during the tenth Five Year Plan with the help of 20 Forest Development Agencies (FDAs).

This was revealed at a day long workshop on implementation of National Afforestation Programme (NAP) held at Pinjore near here today where stress was laid on active involvement of women in joint management of forests.

The workshop was organised under the aegis of Haryana Forest Department and Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC). It was sponsored by National Afforestation and Eco-development Board (NAEB).

The main objective of the workshop was to share experience regarding the NAP. Conceptualised in the tenth Five Year Plan, this programme aims at improving forest resources in the country.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr J K Rawat while delivering the keynote address said that ''National Forest Policy 1988 envisages 33 per cent forest and tree cover. For achieving the goal of National Forest Policy, about 30-35 million hectares of plantation is needed. Out of this, only five million can be done in forest areas. This means we must explore areas outside forests for plantations''.

He said panchayat land and institutional land should be brought under plantation and more thrust should be given to agro-forestry.

He further suggested that women should be actively involved in Joint Forest Management.

It was informed that under National Afforestation Programme, the FDAs are formed in the forest divisions with Conservator of Forests as its chairman and Divisional Forest Officers (DFO) as its member secretary.

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