Increase green cover in state to 10 per cent: Rao Narbir

Minister of Environment, Forests and Wildlife Rao Narbir Singh today chaired a review meeting of the department where he directed officials to increase the tree cover in the state from 7.75 per cent to 10 per cent.

He said the ‘Green Gurugram-Green Haryana’ campaign should be run to promote afforestation. Improvements and transparency in the department should be visible on the ground, he said.

He said a demand letter must be sent to the government to fill about 1,000 Forest Guard posts lying vacant. Issuing strict instructions against corruption, he told officials to change their attitude and work honestly. He said any irregularity would not be tolerated and action should be taken against whoever was found guilty.

Issuing strict instructions, he directed all DFOs and other officials to clear pending files within 15 days. He asked them to go in the field, understand the problems of their respective areas, and resolve them in a time-bound manner.

Stressing the need to renovate and upgrade the Sultanpur National Park near Gurugram, the minister told the officials to chalk out a plan to introduce new facilities in the park so that the tourist footfall could be increased, adding that responsibility needed to be fixed at the department level for park upkeep.

He said there should be no discrimination in any area regarding the issuance of permissions and NOCs for tree felling and other works.

He also told department officials to identify sites in mountains where embankments could be constructed to stop rainwater from flowing and store it for better use. Steps had to be taken to promote eco-tourism in the state so that common people chose Haryana for vacationing and sightseeing, he said.

He directed the department to plant 22 lakh saplings on the occasion of vanmahotsava in the state.