Urban Forests to be constructed in six Jharkhand cities

RANCHI: According to a Forest official, six cities in Jharkhand have been chosen as part of the Government of India’s “Nagar Van” or Urban Forest Programme, which will be introduced on July 9, in 75 cities across the nation. The project is being introduced in six cities in Jharkhand: Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribag, Jamshedpur, and Giridih.

Six cities from Jharkhand are amongst 75 total cities across the nation for the Nagar Van programme, which will be unveiled by the Center on July 9. The scheme will be launched with a ceremonial plantation. On the first day, 75 seedlings would be planted in each Nagar Van to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of Indian Independence, according to Sanjeev Kumar, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Jharkhand. With significant modifications to the Nagar Van Udyan Scheme first launched in 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India released rules for the programme in 2020. Kumar stated that conservation of indigenous plants will be focus of the scheme.

According to him, the program’s goals include establishing green space in urban settings and improving the environment in cities through noise reduction, water harvesting, heat island effect reduction, and pollution mitigation. Additionally, this will contribute to raising awareness of flora, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship. The programme is important for states like Jharkhand, where the quantity of trees is diminishing. According to data from the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the state’s tree cover has decreased by 47 square kilometres during the last ten years.

Small tree patches and lone trees outside the documented forest area that are smaller than one hectare in size are referred to as ‘tree cover’ in this definition. These trees are typically found as dispersed trees in urban areas, village woodlots, homesteads, along roads, canals, and railway lines. The location must be on forest land and be located inside the boundaries of the municipal corporation, as per the terms of the plan. The land selected for the scheme should be a minimum of 10 hectares and a maximum of 50 hectares.

One Nagar Van will be built in Jharkhand on 30 hectares of land in Ranchi’s Baram neighbourhood, and another will be built on 22.93 hectares in Bokaro’s Kandra neighbourhood. On 9.59 hectares in the Damodarpur area of Dhanbad, 50 hectares in the Jagadishpur area of Hazaribag, 15 hectares in the Baliguma region of Jamshedpur, and 11.17 hectares in the Kalyandih area of Giridih, the development would be built. With Dhanbad at the top of the list, these cities are among the most polluted in Jharkhand. Dhanbad was one of 102 non-attainment cities selected by the Centre for the National Clear Air Program in 2019.

The Center will provide financial help of Rs 4 lakh per hectare for the development of the urban forest, which may be utilised for a variety of things, such as fencing, upkeep, and administrative fees for the designated site to be developed.