Government moves for increasing forests coverage to 20pc

The government has taken a move for increasing coverage of forests to 20 per cent with 64,000 hectares of new land for fresh forestation across the country.

Minister for Environment and Forests Anisul Islam Mahmood came up with the disclosure on Wednesday while replying to a starred question from treasury bench member M Sirajul Islam Mollah of Narsingdi-3 in the parliament.

He said, "The government has targeted to plant new trees on 64,000 hectare land aimed at increasing the forests coverage to 20 per cent in the country under the Seventh Annual Plan (2016-21)."

He, however, informed the House that currently the country maintains forests on 1.6 million hectares of land, adding, "The government has undertaken special initiative to plant trees aimed at achieving sustainable development goals (2015-2030)."

To expand the natural forests, he added, aforestation on 55,000 hectares of land controlled by the government would be done with another target to plant 55 million trees on homesteads and establishment estates while 30,000 hectares of land will be brought under aforestation at coastal areas to face climate change impacts.

BSS quoted the minister as saying, "The government has also a target to create 5,000 kilometres of green boundary on seashore line and 20,000 kilometres of strip garden and 2,000 hectares of agar garden for improving socioeconomic condition of the marginal people."