In a new initiative, the Haryana forest department has started the exercise of mapping the plantation in forests of the state with the help of Global Positioning System. Besides, it also plans to use pictures received from satellites for evaluating the changes in the forest and plantation area.
Stating this here on Sunday, Haryana forest and environment minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav said that Management Information System and Geographical Inform-ation System were being developed by the department for better harnessing of the accounts, administration, forest, wildlife and personnel management.
Capt. Yadav said that a Memorandum of Understanding for setting up geomatics facility and spatial information system had been signed between the state government and Indian Space Research Organisation, Hyde-rabad.
The minister said that with a view to containing environmental pollution caused by vehicles, a scheme called Extension Forestry on Farmland along the highways had been started. Under the scheme, plantation is being carried out by the department on farm lands along the highways in the shape of shelterbelts. The department and farmers jointly protect these plantations for three years after which they are handed over to the farmers. During the current year, the state government plans to spend `9.5 crore on the scheme.
Besides, another scheme “Development of Agro-Forestry — Clonal and Non-Clonal” has been launched to encourage the practice of agro-forestry on farm lands. High qualities of seedlings are planted on the fields.