Shimla, Jul 30 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department has set an ambitious target to plant saplings on 9,000 hectares of land across the state this year, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday.
Sukhu said the current state government has undertaken numerous initiatives, with one of its key goals being to transform Himachal Pradesh into a Green Energy State by March 31, 2026.
The Forest Department will play a crucial role in achieving this target, the chief minister, who inaugurated the 75th state-level Van Mahotsav by planting an oak sapling at his official residence, Oak Over, here said. In a significant move, Sukhu also introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for the disposal of unattended dry and salvage trees.
This SoP permits cutting of up to two trees at the forest guard level and 25 trees at the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) level.
Additionally, powers have been delegated to DFOs and officers of the State Forest Development Corporation to expedite tree removal following the first phase approval of the Forest Conservation Act, particularly for linear projects, a statement issued here said.
“The Forest Department has set an ambitious target to plant saplings on 9,000 hectares of land across Himachal Pradesh this year,” Sukhu said.
The chief minister also launched beta testing — final round of testing involving real users to uncover issues before release — of the e-forest software, a digital initiative aimed at streamlining departmental operations and enhancing transparency within the Forest Department.
Sukhu emphasised the importance of increasing the plantation of fruit trees in forest areas from 30 per cent to 60 per cent, with anticipated positive outcomes within the next 10 years.
In a strategic shift, the state government has decided to shut down the construction wing of the Forest Department to allow it to concentrate on core forestry activities, the statement said.
In Lahaul-Spiti district, Mahila Mandals have been engaged in plantation activities and forest conservation, generating revenue for these women’s groups, it added. PTI BPL BHJ BHJ
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.