The Ministry of Culture in India has initiated a tree-planting event called ‘Sankalp Parva’, which will run from June 28th to July 12th, 2020. This initiative, backed by the call of the Prime Minister, encourages locals to plant a minimum of five trees in office campus or any feasible location. The drive aims at boosting the country’s green coverage, enhancing the herbal heritage, and ensuring a clean and healthy environment.
‘Sankalp Parva’ – Reviving Herbal Heritage
As a part of ‘Sankalp Parva’, the Ministry of Culture suggests planting five specific trees that symbolize the country’s herbal heritage. These include Bargad, Awla, Pepal, Ashok, and Bel. These are not merely ornamental but also possess medicinal qualities, enhancing the health quotient of the surroundings.
Other Tree Plantation Drives
Besides ‘Sankalp Parva’, there are several other initiatives that the government is undertaking to boost tree plantation. One remarkable drive is the recently announced Nagar Van (Urban Forest) Scheme. It aims to construct 200 Urban Forests across India within the next five years, infusing green lungs into urban landscapes.
The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act
In addition to these drives, the government passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act in 2016 to manage funds gathered for compensatory afforestation. Prior to this Act, the management of these resources was the responsibility of the Ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Compensatory afforestation implies that every time a forest land is repurposed for non-forest activities like industry or mining, the user agency is required to pay for afforesting an equal area of non-forest land. If such land isn’t available, afforestation is to be done over twice the area of degraded forest land.
National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) Initiative
The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), operating under the Ministry of AYUSH, has plans to set up various types of herbal gardens. The intent is to increase awareness about the benefits of commonly found and frequently used medicinal plants amidst different stakeholders.
Tree Plantation – A Mandatory Prerequisite in Jajpur District
In an interesting initiative, the administration of Jajpur district in Odisha has made tree plantation mandatory for granting approval for various services like society registration, license for minor minerals, setting up crusher units, purchase of new vehicles, issuance of solvency certificate, etc. This innovative step further strengthens the country’s commitment towards environmental conservation.
These green drives are critical to maintaining the ecological balance and offer a robust response to climate change and global warming. Every citizen is urged to participate wholeheartedly to make each campaign successful.