Banmahotsav: State kicks off massive plantation drive

Kolkata: The state Forest department on Tuesday kicked off its biggest plantation drive in the state on the occasion of weeklong Banmahotsav with the target to cover 2,500 hectares of land in Sunderbans through plantation.

Sunderban will alone witness 5 crore mangrove plantation to compensate for the huge loss of mangrove cover and also for creating a proper shield of mangrove to mitigate the effect of similar cyclones like Amphan in future.

Every year the Forest department takes up plantation on 400 hectares in Sunderbans. But this time it will cover 2,500 hectares. 3,990 hectares of forest was damaged due to the severe cyclone Amphan that hit the state on May 20.

The plantation in Sunderbans will cover both forest and non forest areas. 11 blocks in Sunderans and additional forest land of 300 hectares will come under the programme that will continue from July to November. The drive kicked off from Canning I and Basanti block on Tuesday. "We have decided to plant 5 crore mangrove and 3.5 crore saplings across the state through our initiative Regreening Bengal that starts from today (Tuesday). I will appeal to every people in the stated to plant a sapling and upload the photograph of his activity in the Facebook page of the Forest department. We will hand him over a digital certificate recognising him as a Green Warrior (Sabuj Yoddha)," said Forest minister Rajib Banerjee at the inaugural programme of Banmahotsav at Bally, Howrah.

State Urban Development and Municipal Affiars minister Firhad Hakim was also present at the programme.

The department has set a target of creating 31 lakh mandays through its massive plantation initiative which will involve workers under MGNREGA including the migrants . A single convergence scheme in Sunderbans will create almost 8.83 lakh mandays which may be the biggest in the state. Plantation in Sunderbans can only be done during low tide as water recedes, so work can be taken up only 4 hours a day.

As per estimate of the Forest department 1.20 crore of trees across the state has been damaged and more than 16 lakh trees have been uprooted in various districts due to Amphan.

"The department has provided saplings to all MLAs, representatives from panchayats, block level leaders, NGOs right upto the grassroot level urging them for plantation to reduce pollution," said Banerjee.