JOIN US Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Ramnath Rai said the state government is all set to increase the forest cover through afforestation process in the available natural habitat.
Speaking after inaugurating the ‘Siri Chandana Vana’, a concept which enables nurturing of sandalwood trees in their natural habitat at Vandaru village on Monday, the minister said the sandalwood plantation would be taken up on 33.20 hectares of land. The project also includes a watch tower with two watchmen to guard the farm, he added.
Rai said the plantation work would be completed within a year. The sandalwood park work has been taken up at a cost of Rs 1.55 crore. The area also includes the coverage of advanced fencing, percolation ponds and plantation area. Drip irrigation facility would be made available to nurture the plants. The government also intends to revive the sandalwood culture in the state. This would enable the plantation of the sandalwood in the belt where the natural habitat of sandalwood is observed, he added.
The minister stated that the gram panchayats have been directed to take up afforestation. Each gram panchayat should plant at least 3,000 saplings, to increase the green cover, he added.
He said increasing global warming is a concern and every individual has the responsibility of planting saplings.
Rai said the concepts of green school and green village have come up as new concepts. Green village concept would be developed at Molahalli in Udupi district.
In Dakshina Kannada, five villages have been taken up under the green village programme. While under green school, the schools are being evaluated for the criteria involved. The Western Ghat region is considered for enrichment of the forest cover, while the Hyderabad-Karnataka region is considered for the plantation of the saplings, he said.
The minister said the schools at primary level are encouraged to build up a nursery and the schools in Hosangadi and Kamasheele villages are taken up on a pilot project. The programme would be initiated in a phased manner, he noted.
Rai said an initiative is underway to consider the issue of title deeds for the inhabitants within a radius of 100 metre buffer zone covering the reserve forest area.
A recommendation has been made to the government in this regard.
The Forest Act will be implemented effectively to conserve the forest.