India's forest cover expanded by 1 pc in five years: Javadekar

The forest cover of the country has increased by 1 per cent in the last five years and continuous progress will happen only through participation of people, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said Thursday.

The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change called upon people to plant tree saplings.

Javadekar, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting, visited the premises of Gulshan Mahal, the historic building in Films Division that houses a part of the National Museum of Indian Cinema, which was inaugurated in January this year.

"In our lives, the amount of oxygen we take, we must plant at least ten saplings. In the last five years, India's forest cover has increased by 1 per cent.

"This time, too, a similar progress should be recorded and for that we will try our best. This will happen through people's participation, which is extremely important," Javadekar told reporters.

The minister planted saplings at the venue as part of the celebration to mark the World Environment Day, which was Wednesday.

At the event, he was also joined by film personalities like Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff and Vivek Agnihotri, among others.