According to the latest state forest survey report, the official said Chandigarh's green cover has increased to 38.5 percent from 35.7 percent. The last report was released in 2006.
The new report was released Monday in New Delhi by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
As per the report findings, the forest cover of Chandigarh has increased from 41 sq km to 43 sq km. The city's tree cover has augmented from nine to 11 sq km.
“This target has been achieved only due to the sustained effort of forest department in which we had included educational institutes, resident welfare societies and other sections of society. In the last five years, we had distributed lakhs of saplings to people for planting in public land,” Chandigarh's chief conservator forests Ishwar Singh told IANS.
“We also maintain a logical balance between the cutting and planting of new trees. If we cut one tree then to compensate the loss we plant five to 10 more trees. From 1991 to 2007, nearly 17,000 trees came under axe in this city but during the same period we had planted over 21 lakh trees here.”
As per the set target under the Greening Chandigarh Action Plan 2009-10 of the forest department, Chandigarh has decided to plant at least 69,581 trees and 48,406 shrubs by March next year.
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