Haryana clears Rs 298-cr green plan, focus on afforestation, climate resilience

Chandigarh: Haryana has approved a Rs 298.4-crore annual plan of operations under the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).The decision was taken at the 10th steering committee meeting chaired by chief secretary Anurag Rastogi, with officials stressing outcome-based implementation and timely execution.The plan centres on large-scale afforestation, wildlife protection, renewable energy adoption and community participation to strengthen the state's green cover.CAMPA CEO Navdeep Singh said over 20 lakh saplings will be planted across 1,882 hectares, while maintenance of existing plantations will be carried out over 4,518 hectares to improve survival rates.To tackle urban pollution and heat stress, the state will develop dense urban forests using the Miyawaki technique across 16 hectares in urban and semi-urban areas.An outlay of over Rs 33 crore has been approved for catchment area treatment works in the ecologically sensitive Shivalik and Aravalli regions, focusing on soil conservation, water harvesting and restoration of degraded land, while also generating local employment.The plan also includes a public outreach component, with the launch of ‘Haritima: Hariyali ka Rang, Haryana ke Sang', an environmental awareness programme for Classes 6 to 10 in govt schools. Around 70 eco-camps will be organised, taking students to forests, wildlife sanctuaries and ecotourism sites.