Maharashtra government to plant 2 crore trees to battle climate change

In the backdrop of growing number of natural calamities, the state government has decided to set up a separate department to study climate changes in the state. It has also decided to plant two crore trees in the state to curb the adverse effects of climate changes.

Environment minister Ramdas Kadam announced the plan on Thursday in the state Legislative Council. He said, “Due to climate changes, natural calamities like drought, unseasonal rains, hailstorm, rising temperature, thunderstorm are on rise. Hence, the state government has decided to set up a department to study the climate changes and its effects in the state.”

Observing that the plantation of trees is the only way to control climate change, he said the state government plans to plant two crore trees in the state in near future. The onus of their survival will be placed on gram panchayats, zilla parishad and school children, he added.

The issue of climate change effects was raised by the senior BJP legislator Shobha Fadnavis. Replying to the debate, Mr Kadam announced that the government has plans to ban vehicles older than 10 years in Mumbai. At present there are 25 lakh vehicles in the metropolis.

Commenting on the air quality in Mumbai, he said, “We plan to install on trial a garbage processing plant to process 18 tonnes of garbage collected from Mumbai. If successful it shall be implemented in other municipal corporations. (We) also intends to install 50 machines at major traffic signals, which can absorb polluted air in the vicinity of 200 feet. Out of the one lakh industries in the state, 2,500 are causing pollution. The government has shut down two 210 MW unit in the Chandrapur thermal power plant after it was found discharging polluted affluents.”