Patiala is all set to get a new green cover in
the years to come as the forest department has drawn up an ambitious
plan for the purpose. As part of this plan at least 1 lakh saplings of
shady plants would be distributed free of cost among the members of
the general public on the Republic Day.
Divisional forest officer Dharminder Sharma said
yesterday this was being done with a view to encourage the habit of
planting more trees among public. The people coming for the Republic
Day function to the Yadavindra Stadium would be given saplings free of
cost.
He said non-governmental organisations and
social organisations would also be given plants and saplings free of
cost. He said it had been observed that NGOs and social organisations
had been engaged in planting of saplings.
He said the people being given saplings would
also be educated on its upkeep. The functionaries of NGOs and social
organisations would also be educated on proper upkeep of the saplings.
The divisional forest officer said initially it
had been proposed to distribute both shady and fruit bearing plants to
the people. But there were some technical problems and as such the
plan of distributing fruit plants had been put on hold. He said the
saplings were being raised in the forest department nurseries and
would be ready for distribution on the Republic Day. Sources in the
forest department disclosed that the plants proposed to be distributed
included neem, jarkanda, jakreshia etc.
The officials of the forest department lauded
the role being played by social organisations in helping give a green
cover to the city. They said with the free distribution of saplings in
such large numbers it was expected that the city would get a green
cover in the coming few years.
