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Karnataka’s green cover will be increased, assures forest minister

Karnataka’s green cover will be increased, assures forest minister


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Dec 6: C. H. Vijayashankar, the minister for forests, remarked that Tirupathi once used to attract tourists only for its Tirumala Temple, but now tourists visit Tirupathi for its natural beauty too. He was addressing reporters at a press meet held in the DC’s chamber. The forest department has made arrangements for tourists to enjoy the forest wealth, purchase plants, and grow them in their homelands, he added. He voiced his opinion that this will enhance the significance of traditional plants and trees. 

 

DC press meet

 

DC press meet

 

Revealing that the forest department has made rural development committees in five districts in order to meet the world’s demand for medicinal plants, which can be found only in India, he said that a meeting of experts will be convened and workshops will be held to collect all the information required to create the required environment for the growing of these plants. He also said that the forest department plans to ban the planting of acacia and eucalyptus plants on government land because they do not bear any fruit and do not provide shelter to birds. Government nurseries will also be stopped from distributing these trees and people will be educated on the disadvantages of growing these varieties of plants, he added. Speaking about the disadvantages of planting eucalyptus and acacia, he said that these plants have caused depletion of ground water in Malnad and semi Malnad regions. 

Revealing the plans of the forest department, he said that a blueprint will be prepared to increase the state’s green cover and implement the policy of planting trees on either side of the roads. The forest department will collaborate with the education department, revenue department, rural development department, urban development department, heath department, water resources department, and Panchayat Raj to educate the public and the school children on the importance of planting fruit-bearing trees on forest, barren, and private land in the state. Stating that the general misconception about the forest department’s unwillingness to part with its land is false, he said that the forest department is willing to provide land to other departments if they provide equal land in other places in exchange. 

He said that the forest department will request the urban development department to issue directives to urban local bodies and city corporations to plant saplings in their jurisdiction to increase the green cover in the state. Budgetary allocations for the same will be enhanced, he assured. The revenue department will also be requested to transfer barren land to the forest department to increase the green cover. 

The minister said that a meeting of higher officers will be convened in Bangalore to discuss issues on development of small industries and to urge the central government to pursue this matter. Around 110 acres will be developed and distributed among the residents of Cheloor and Balepuni in DK and Nandikur in Udupi. Lands taken away from farmers will be restored to them, he assured. 

Revealing that a person who plants a tree and takes care of it for 7 – 8 years will be assured of income for life, he said that the same variety of plants should not be grown on the same land because it will lead to ecological imbalance, which will require hundreds of years to set right.


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