Assam To Plant One Crore Saplings On Sep 17: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said one crore saplings of commercial trees will be planted within three hours on September 17 to increase the forest cover of the state.    
    
At a function here, the CM launched the web portal, mobile app, and theme song of the 'Amrit Briksha Andolan' campaign.
    
Along with this, a website for registration of the wood-based industry was also launched on Wednesday for 'ease of doing business' in the sector.
    
Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said that this movement will enrich Assam's beauty, combat climate change by increasing forest cover and empower people with a tree-based economy.
    
On September 17, various self-help groups, frontline workers, educational institutes, and government personnel will come together to plant one crore commercially viable saplings in three hours, setting their sights on a place in the record books, he added.
    
Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that the state government is aiming to grow six crore saplings in the government nurseries from next year.
    
"We want the people to grow commercially viable trees in their lands so that forests are not destroyed for wood-based industries," he added.
    
Patowary also said that commercial trees such as white sandals are being grown in government nurseries and these will be given to people for free.