Govt to Promote Afforestation Along Ganga

• 25 May 2022

Why in News?

• On May 23, 2022, a state government spokesperson said that with an aim to make the river Ganga clean, the state government has planned to promote afforestation along the river and replace chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers.

Key Points

• The spokesman said that under the scheme, 10 km on both sides of 27 districts (through which the Ganga flows).
• The state government has set a target of afforestation in 6,759 hectares along the banks of Ganga spread over 503 locations in 27 districts in the next six months. It is worth mentioning that the tree plantation drive has already been started in Kasganj and some other areas.
• The state government has planned an intensive afforestation drive not only on the banks of the Ganga but also along its tributaries. The government aims to plant medicinal, rare and traditional plants along the banks of the Ganga and its tributaries.
• This will not only help in increasing the forest cover and improving the climate, but also prevent soil erosion and reduce the severity of floods in these areas.
• In organic farming, chemical fertilizers and poisonous pesticides are completely replaced with organic manure to increase yield and protect the soil. Since the soil of the Gangetic plain changes every year due to floods, there is a lot of potential for organic farming in the entire basin.
• It is worth mentioning that a large part of the Gangetic plain in India is located in Uttar Pradesh. The river flows through 27 districts of the state including Bijnor, Badaun, Amroha, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Fatehpur, Prayagraj, Mirzapur and Ghazipur.