100 lakh saplings to be planted on Gandhi Jayanti: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the people of the state will join hands to plant 100 lakh saplings on Gandhi Jayanti this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced 'Mission Life' to bring about a 'Jan Andolan' (People's movement) which will be at the forefront of the global climate action narrative, the chief minister said while participating in a tree plantation programme 'Amri Plantation' at Chandubi in Kamrup Rural district.

The plantation of 100 lakh saplings on October 2 will help mitigate climate change, and expand our tree economy as the state government will offer Rs 300 per sapling and lead to a 38 per cent increase in forest cover by the year 2028, Sarma said.

The temperatures have been rising and ''I sympathise with everyone experiencing the scorching heat in the state but we have to take steps to bring back temperatures to optimal level'', the chief minister said.

''We will have to take steps to increase the forest cover, phase away fossil fuels and free up encroached forest lands to bring back temperatures to their optimal level'', he added.

It is with this goal that it has been decided to extend green cover in the state and give a fillip to a tree economy, for which one crore saplings will be planted on Gandhi Jayanti this year, Sarma said.

''As a mark of gratitude, we will reward individuals with Rs 100 on planting a sapling and a further Rs 200, if it survives for three years'', the chief minister added.