Lucknow, Mar 19 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh has recorded a significant increase in its forest cover, with the Indian Forest Status Report 2023 noting a 559.19 sq km expansion.
The state government has credited this achievement to large-scale plantation drives, including the ‘Ped Lagao, Ped Bachao Jan Abhiyan-2024’, under which 36.80 crore saplings were planted in a single year, according to an official statement.
The total forest cover in the state now stands at 15,045.89 sq km, a senior UP government official said on Wednesday.
Over the past eight years, the state government has overseen the plantation of over 204 crore trees.
While doing so, the state’s Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department has also generated employment by recruiting thousands of youth into the department, it stated.
Additionally, UP has become the first state in India to implement carbon credit payments for trees grown on private farmland, providing financial benefits to farmers, the statement emphasised.
To promote eco-tourism, the state government launched an air service from Lucknow to Palia, which houses the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. This step is expected to boost tourism and awareness about conservation efforts in the region.
For wildlife conservation, the state has taken measures too, especially to protect river dolphins. The state now has the highest population of river dolphins in the country, with 2,397 out of the total 6,327 found across eight states, according to the statement.
Acknowledging the importance of this species, the government declared the Ganges Dolphin as the state’s official aquatic animal on October 17, 2023, it added.
As part of bird conservation efforts, the summer census 2024 recorded a steady increase in the population of the Sarus Crane, Uttar Pradesh’s state bird, which has grown to 19,994 from 19,522 in 2023 and 19,188 in 2022.
The government has also taken steps in vulture conservation, with Asia’s first Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre established in Campierganj, Gorakhpur, the statement highlighted.
To further strengthen ecological preservation, the state has developed 948 heritage tree gardens and multiple thematic forests such as Mitra Forest, Miyawaki Forest and Shakti Forest. A wetland conservation forest was also established in the catchment areas of 223 major wetlands.
Moreover, under the Pavitra Dhara Vriksharopan scheme, 3.72 crore saplings were planted along the banks of the Ganga, Yamuna, Saryu, Hindon and Gomti rivers, the government said in its statement.
Also, the state has consistently revised its annual plantation targets — from 5.72 crore saplings in 2017-18 to 36.80 crore in 2024-25.
Sonbhadra led the state in plantation efforts, followed by Jhansi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Jalaun and Mirzapur. Departments such as Rural Development, Forest, Agriculture and Horticulture contributed to these efforts, the statement added. PTI KIS AMJ AMJ AMJ
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.