The forest department plans to adopt the western culture wherein the natural forest is preserved and massive forestation is taken up in non-forest area to meet the commercial and domestic requirements.
The forest department is implementing four new schemes for same. The first scheme - Agro Forest Development Scheme, will provide various varieties of saplings to the farmers as per the demands to be planted on their land.
Under the second scheme, each district will get a tree park on 250 acres where the highly-degraded forest land would be developed by improving the soil condition and growing local and traditional species, Ayurvedic and herbal trees, endangered species, wild fruits and flowering trees.For the scheme Sanjeevani Park and Gulnal in Dharwad, Binkadkatti in Gadag and Karjagi in Haveri districts have been identified.
Under the third scheme ‘Deva Vana’, forestation work would be carried out at select religious places on the lines of the greenery project on Thirumala hills. For the scheme a religious place in each district will be identified.
The fourth scheme -one tree for one child, calls for provision of one sapling to each child and the child will be made to take oath that, they as future custodians would take responsibility of preserving the plant.
Experts have pointed out that if these schemes are implemented as planned, and the results are as expected, it will be a significant progress in the afforestation drive in the state.
