The Haryana government has decided to team up with the Railways to take up an afforestation drive on vacant land along the railway lines in the state.
Stating this here today, an official spokesman said that an agreement would be signed between the Haryana Forest Department and the Railways in New Delhi tomorrow.
Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu, Union Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister, Prakash Javadekar, Haryana Forest Minister, Rao Narbir Singh, would be present on this occasion, he said.
He said that according to this agreement, vacant lands along newly-laid out rail lines would be made available by Railway authorities to the Haryana Forest Department for taking up afforestation. This would help in augmenting the tree cover in the state.
The agreement envisages planting on these lands and sharing of forest produce in consonance with funds provided for afforestation by the parties concerned, the spokesman said.
Initially, Sonepat-Gohana-Jind and Rohtak-Rewari railway lines would be taken up this year by planting about 1,25,000 saplings over an area of 115 hectares, he added.
