Raipur, September 17: In a bid to put the unproductive land into proper use,  Chattisgarh is all set to roll out an action plan to develop India's largest man-made forest on a massive landmass. Reports inform that the state is on a mission to develop the man-made forest on a vast area that majorly comprises of abandoned and non-functional mining belts. The action plan will come into effect at Nandini in Durg district, about 55 km from Raipur. The cost of the project is projected to be Rs 3.37 crore.

The area is conducive to the growth of birds and other wildlife due to the massive wetland present in the region. The migratory birds from the Eurosiberiman region were also spotted in this region. According to the action plan, the initiative is set to turn the unproductive and mined-out areas into the natural habitat of the jungle. It would stretch across 3,777 acres, reports said. As of now, about 1,120 acres in the region have been transformed into a forest. Chhattisgarh Tops in Minor Forest Produce Procurement.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, over 83 thousand saplings of around 30 different species were planted under the special drive in 895 acres by the state forest department this year. Around 44 percent of the state land is under forest cover. Earlier, Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, during the inspection, had planted a banyan plant as a symbolic gesture under the Jan Van initiative.

Rakesh Chaturvedi, the state Principal Chief Conservation of Forests (PCCF), was quoted in the reports saying that it’s a new concept based on environment conservation. It will be executed with Miyawaki, a Japanese technique that helps in creating dense self-sustaining native forest where the plants as natural and multi-layered grow much faster. The official added that once the project is completed, Nandini forest will be the biggest man-made forest in India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2021 03:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).