Chavan calls for a new "Green Revolution" in Maharashtra

Pune, Feb 19 (PTI) Saying that tree-cover in the statemust increase, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today calledfor a new "green revolution".

Speaking at the Vanashree Awards'' distribution functionhere, Chavan said, "Against the backdrop of increasingpollution, each city should have its own forest."

"Today the state has only 10 to 14 per cent forest cover.

It should increase to 20 to 25 per cent. We can get at leastRs 4000 crore from Centre to implement environmental projects,but we have to work hard on this front."

He promised civic bodies all help for implementing cityforest'' scheme, which aims at increasing green cover in urbanareas.

Social Forestry department gives away Vanashree awards tothe individuals and organisations who contribute to treeplantation.

The Chief Minister gave away awards to altogether 261persons/organisations for the years 2007 and 2008.