Now, it’s time for forest revolution in state: Raje

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday said after water revolution in the form of Mukhyamantri Jal Swalambhan Yojna (MJSA), now it is time to start forest revolution in Rajasthan.

“The way water conservation was started last year with a public awareness campaign, similarly forest conservation too would be taken up (in the state),” said Raje, while addressing the 68th state-level Van Mahotsav at Govindpura Beed village in the district.

Raje said the need is to provide secure future to environment in the state, and every person should contribute to it. Under the MJSA phase-II, 60 lakh saplings will be planted, she said.

Under the state-level Van Mahotsav, 15 lakh saplings will be planted in a day at district, block and panchayat level across the state.

Citing examples of Sirohikala village (Dudu) and Sanwariakala village (Phagi), she said the crop production of chickpea has doubled in the villages because of the MJSA work. Earlier there used to be only one crop, but now two crops are being sown in the villages.

Raje said 12,000 villages will be covered in the first three years of the MJSA campaign.

In the coming years, Rajasthan will become self-reliant in water availability, she said. Under the campaign, even urban areas have been covered, where damaged beris (wells) and bawaris (water body) are being renovated and repaired to conserve traditional water structures, the CM said.

Union minister for forest and environment Harshvardhan said the campaign being run by Rajasthan would be seen as an example across the world. He also appreciated the initiative of geo-tagging plants and said such moves to save trees through use of science and technology is appreciable.

On the occasion, Raje named three cubs born at Nahargarh Biological Park as Tara (female), Tejas and Tripur (male).