Bengaluru, Jun 5: Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday expressed displeasure over the government's failure over the years to increase forest cover in the state despite its tall sapling plantation claims.
"The forest cover in the state is not increasing. It has been stuck at the level 19- 20% in the past 25 years. The government officials say they have conducted plantation drives every year and claim that crores of saplings have been planted. I don't know where these saplings have gone," said Siddaramaiah.
The chief minister's comments came during his inaugural address at the World Environment Day celebrations jointly organised by the department of forest and environment and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). The event was held at Dr Babu Rajendra Prasad International Auditorium at the GKVK campus of University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS).
Siddaramaiah said the state supposed to have one-thirds of its land covered by forest but it remained below 20 % in the past 25 years.
"The officials last year claimed to have planted eight crore saplings. If this is true, then the green cover should have been improved. They are now saying that they would plant six saplings this year," Siddaramaiah commented.
Interestingly, forest minister B Ramanath Rai, who spoke earlier, said the forest department had set a target of planting six crore saplings this year. Siddaramaiah's comments later came only as a taunt to his own government.
Commenting on the highly polluted water bodies in the Bengaluru with special mention of Bellandur Lake and Varthur Lake, the chief minister said the water bodies in the city were frothing and flaming since chemicals were indiscriminately being added to these lakes.
"It is not just the government's obligation to keep environment clean. People should also take responsibility and they should follow the norms such as segregation of solid and liquid waste and strictly do rain water harvest," he added.
The chief minister said over 3,500 tonnes of waste is being generated daily in the city and disposing of such a huge quantity is a tough job.
Ramanath Rai said the government was proposing to plant six crore saplings as per the budget announcement and the district in-charge ministers would lead the plantation programme at their respective districts. He said plans were afoot to revive lakes with the involvement of corporates under corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme. The government is also planning to set up 50 Tree Parks in the name of Salumarada Thimmakka and the programme Chinnara Vana Darashana, the programme to create awareness about wildlife among children, is being held.
The Chief minister laid the foundation stone to the regional office of KSPCB at Surya Nagar and Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station at the campus of Veterinary Collage near Hebbal.
Individuals and organisation were given away Environment Awards in recognition of their service to environment conservation.
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