In an effort to enhance and protect green cover in urban areas, the Environment ministry has brought out plans to develop 200 ‘city forests’ in the country in the following five years and inaugurate a ‘school nursery’ scheme to spread awareness about environment protection.
The Centre proposes to do so by developing at least one ‘city forest’ at first on forest land, ranging from 20 hectare to 100 hectare, in cities with municipal corporations.
“The environment ministry will provide one time financial support for development of these city forests”, said Union environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar.
In response to a question in Parliament, the environment minister informed the Lok Sabha in a written response that the “Nagar Van- Udyan Yojana” was proposed to be introduced on a pilot basis.
“The scheme aims to create 200 city forests in the country in next five years”, he said.
Javadekar underlined the fact that if forests can be developed, particularly with native fruit bearing and other trees in urban areas, they will work as a carbon sink.
“It is proposed to create small nurseries in schools involving students from class six to class nine. The main objective is to create awareness about environment and help students identify and learn about the various benefits of trees and plants”.
The school nursery scheme is an initiative to bring children close to nature and involving them in raising saplings in nurseries created in schools. This year, 1000 schools across the country will be selected and each will raise at least 1000 saplings. Schools will get a grant of Rs. 25000 in the first year and Rs.10000 per year for the subsequent two years. Through this initiative, the Government proposes to increase ‘green’ awareness in its citizens at a very young age; enable them to get closer to Nature and inculcate good practices such as rain water harvesting, recycling and organic cultivation.
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