“For the first time forest department will take up greenery work in non-forest land like residential and industrial areas. The aim is to achieve 33 per cent green cover in the state as per international standards for a clean green environment. Presently, the green coverage area in state is 22.5 per cent against an average of 17 per cent of the country,” forest minister Vijayshankar told reporters.
Initiatives
Briefing mediapersons on the initiatives, he said small nursery will be established in each of the grama panchayat limits in the state to distribute free saplings (mainly grown by ryots) to farmers. Farmers will be paid incentives of ` 10 in the first year, ` 15 in second year and ` 20 in third year for maintenance. A farmer can accrue up to Rs 20,000 per acre land.
While, ‘Maguge Ondu Mara Shalege Ondu Mara’ programme will provide an option to the student in government schools and PU colleges to choose the sapling of their liking to plant it either in their home or farmland. Students will be administered an oath to protect greenery and plant sapling. The schools would also be encouraged to plant saplings in school premises, the minister said.
Parks
The department has chalked out a project to establish Cubbon Park like park on at least 5 acres of land in each district. Similar parks would come up in four corners and in the central part of Bangalore. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa would lay foundation stone for the theme park in Mysore on July 25.
‘Deva Vana’ project
Vijayshankar said the DevaVana project would start from Chamundi hill in Mysore with chief minister laying the foundation. The ` 1.06 crore project would be executed in three years. Forest department has signed a MoU with muzarai department.
Accordingly, the muzarai department would maintain the park once it was fully developed. “We have identified Gomatagiri near Hunsur and Bettadapura near Periyapatna for Deva Vana. Places of tourists and heritage importance in other parts of the state will be selected for the project,” he said. The forest department has prepared an action plan for the development of Sasyodyana at Lingambudi lake.
There are plans to open two large nursery spread across 50 acre to collect all traditional plants and every variety of plant available on earth — one in north Karnataka and other in the south.