The Forest Department has chalked out a programme to plant 2.88 lakh saplings, which include one lakh for public distribution, in Yadgir during the monsoon season to increase green cover in the district.

At present, the district has 29,790 hectares of forest which is 6% of the total geographical area of 5.23 lakh hectares.

The department plans to plant 1,88,550 saplings on government land, school and college grounds, APMC Yard, roadside area and Gomal land. Plantation is under process.

The department is set to distribute 1,07,820 saplings to the Yadgir range, 28,280 saplings to the Gurmitkal range and 52,490 saplings to the Shorapur range and also planned to distribute one lakh saplings to the general public to plant on their lands or places, according to the data made available.

Different varieties of saplings such as neem, banyan, mahogany, pongamia (honge), hebbuvu, sandalwood and alar will be planted and also distributed.

During the monsoon every season, the department takes up a sapling plantation drive and distributes saplings to the general public to plant to ensure more green coverage.

The department will take all possible protective measures to save the planted saplings till three years of their age. “We spend crores of rupees for the purpose, from planting seeds in pits to planting saplings. However, the survival percentage is only 75% to 90%. For various reasons, the remaining saplings thus planted are damaged or they die,” Deputy Conservator of Forest Annaraya Patil has said.

Appealing to the general public to join hands with the department to increase green coverage in the district, Mr. Patil suggested that the general public come to the nearby Forest Department office to receive saplings for plantation.