Chhattisgarh to plant six crore saplings this monsoon

RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh government Saturday announced a mega drive of planting over six crore saplings across the state during the monsoon season.

“The state government will lead a major environment drive with industrial houses and non-government organizations (NGOs) to boost greenery in all 18 districts of the state with a target to plant 6.19 crore saplings,” an official statement said.

Chief Minister Raman Singh, in a meeting with senior government officials and representatives of public and private sector industrial houses and NGOs Friday, asked them to actively participate in the drive to help the government check environmental imbalance in the state through improving greenery, the statement said.

The Bhilai Steel Plant, the flagship unit of public sector undertaking Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), was instructed to plant saplings around the Kharun river in Raipur district and the Shivnath river in Durg district besides covering a 50 km stretch along main roads.

Power major National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) will also cover a 50 km stretch along roads in Korba district. National Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (NMDC) will join the drive in Dantewada and Kanker districts while South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (SECL) will plant saplings in Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon districts.

Aluminium major Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) will plant 300,000 saplings while private sector steel major Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) will plant saplings along 100 km of road length.