Centre...

Sanjay Kumar, director general of forests, said: “It’s a collaborative approach rather than a PPP. We are expecting local people, municipal corporations and even industries both small and big to contribute. The Centre will fund a part of it. Industries can give funds to the forest department to support the project. Planting of local species will be prioritised. Forests in urban areas are most stressed. Such projects can also prevent their encroachment,” he said.

Legal researchers said there should be clarity on the policy and which areas will be earmarked for the development of urban forests.

“Forests within cities are not empty spaces; they are used for multiple purposes by people. An example of this is the Aarey forest in Mumbai. What are vacant spaces? That needs to be clarified. Will it cover floodplains, district parks, wetlands for example? This runs the risk of enclosing open spaces where rights of admission may be reserved. We need more clarity,” said Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher, Centre for Policy Research.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandrakanta Goyal, 88, passed away at her Mumbai residence on Saturday. She was the mother of railway minister Piyush Goyal.

Piyush Goyal, in a tweet, said his mother dedicated her life for the service of people and inspired others to do the same.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, in his condolence message, said Chandrakanta Goyal was witness to the initial talks of an alliance between Shiv Sena and the BJP as the meeting was held at her residence. Chandrakanta Goyal was a corporator for one term after Emergency. Later, she represented the party from Matunga Assembly constituency for three terms. Her husband, the late Ved Prakash Goyal, was a BJP national treasurer and also the shipping minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.