State to plant 33 crore saplings in 2019, says Min

Mumbai: Maharashtra has set a record by planting 147,188,417 saplings this year, announced forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. He also announced the target of planting 33 crore trees next year, for which planning will start from August 3. Cities across the state have to prepare a “tree plan” like the “development plan” to utilise open spaces, Mr Mungantiwar said.

Mr Mungantiwar had set an ambitious target of planting 13 crore trees this year, for which the planning started on July 10, 2017. The minister said that the target had been achieved on July 31, 2018. He said that all government, semi-government, corporations, councils, NGOs and all sections of the society helped to make the tree plantation drive a public movement.