- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the state-level forest festival on Monday by planting a mango sapling at his official residence in Patna, marking the launch of an ambitious statewide afforestation campaign. The Bihar government has set a target of planting five crore saplings during the financial year 2025–26, aiming to enhance the state's green cover and promote environmental conservation.
The Chief Minister appealed to citizens across the state to actively participate in the plantation drive by planting saplings around their homes, public spaces, and farmlands. The campaign, which will run for the next three months, will see mass plantation efforts coordinated by the Forest Department, along with participation from the Rural Development Department, Jeevika groups, educational institutions, NGOs, and various social organisations.
This initiative is a continuation of the state’s "Hariyali Mission", launched in 2012, which significantly contributed to increasing Bihar’s green cover to 15.05 per cent. The state has now set a new goal of achieving 17 per cent green cover by 2028.
In 2019, the Chief Minister also launched the "Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali" (Water-Life-Greenery) campaign to promote environmental awareness, water conservation, and agroforestry-based income for farmers.
At the inaugural event, Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, welcomed the Chief Minister with floral greetings. The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Environment Minister Sunil Kumar, and several senior officials including Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Prabhat Kumar Gupta, Secretary to the CM Kumar Ravi, and Special Officer to the CM Gopal Singh.
The plantation campaign is a key component of Bihar's strategy to combat climate change, restore ecological balance, and promote sustainable livelihoods.