Four crore trees to make Uttrar Pradesh greener

LUCKNOW: The annual plantation drive would add more than four crore trees in Uttar Pradesh. The drive would be different this year as trees would be planted on a bigger area to make them more visible. Besides, plantation of trees at one place would make their maintenance easy. Last year, plantation was done to develop green belts in rural and urban areas.

A total of 4.39 crore trees will be planted on 67,600 hectare during 2013-14. The plantation would be done between July and September. The sites for plantation have been identified in most of the divisions, said sources. The idea behind the exercise is to increase the forest and tree cover in the state. Plantation would be done on the government land, roadsides and private land. The forest department would plant maximum trees, 3.21 crore, on 49,500 hectare area.

The rural development department would plant about seven lakh trees on 12,100 hectare area, energy department 1.17 lakh, industrial development 7.8 lakh, housing and urban development 8.5 lakh, irrigation 7.8 lakh, PWD 5.9 lakh, and higher, secondary and primary education together would plant about 2.9 lakh trees. The state nurseries would provide trees ranging between 8 and 12 feet for plantation.