Haryana Introduces Van-Mitra Scheme To Boost Forest Conservation Efforts

Haryana's new Van-Mitra scheme aims to recruit individuals for plant care, utilizing drones for mapping and monitoring, enhancing forest fire response.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal announced that Van-Mitras will be recruited soon under the Van-Mitra scheme. They will receive an allowance for taking care of plants. He instructed officers to map plants in forest areas using drones. This includes those already planted and those to be planted each year.

In case of a delay in extinguishing forest fires, responsibility will be fixed from forest guards to higher officials. The Chief Minister was presiding over a review meeting of the Forest and Wildlife Department in Chandigarh on Sunday. He also released a brochure for the Pran Vayu Devta scheme.

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Wildlife, Sanjay Singh, was also present at the meeting. The Chief Minister said that illegal tree felling in forest areas will not be tolerated. If any employee is found involved, action will be taken against them.

He reviewed the tree plantation campaign run by the Forest Department every monsoon season. He said these plants should be geo-tagged and monitored for five years using drones. Expressing concern over forest fires, he noted that such incidents kill animals and cause significant timber loss and pollution.

If there is an unnecessary delay in extinguishing a fire, action will be taken against Forest Department officers from guards to district level. He instructed officers to arrange water supply from canals or tubewells in National Parks like Kalesar and Sultanpur.

This water can be used by wildlife for drinking during extreme heat and to help extinguish fires. The Chief Minister was informed that a budget of Rs 150 crore has been allocated for plantation in 2024-25. Additionally, Rs 10 crore will be spent on herbal parks.

The State Government has launched a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 2750 per year to those taking care of healthy trees over 75 years old under the Pran Vayu Devta Scheme. So far, 3819 plants have been identified under this scheme.

Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forest and Wildlife Department, Anand Mohan Sharan, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr Amit Agrawal, Political Advisor to Chief Minister Bharat Bhushan Bharti, and other senior officers were also present at the meeting.