Pune Forest Dept to plant 625 trees on every hectare beginning this monsoon

Now, around 700 hectares of land in Saswad, Vadgaon, and Dindori will be redeveloped with 625 trees per hectare.

The Pune division of the forest department will plant 625 trees, grass, tall trees, bushes and plants per hectare of forest land and 1,100 trees on degraded land. A tri-party agreement has been signed with five or six groups to plant trees in around 700 hectares of forest land over seven years. April 2023 saw the approval of the revised plan.

“We worked on a 5-hectare plot of land in different parts of the city for the previous project. The head office has now accepted the revised plan, which calls for the planting of tall trees, bamboo, herbs, and shrubs in two stages over three years. We understood that only planting trees would not be sufficient; in addition, we must take into account all other factors, stated a forest department official.

In the 2023 working plan, which extends for 10 years, the department had proposed redevelopment of forest land across the Pune division by removing gliricidia trees and planting native indigenous tall trees and bamboo shoots.

The gliricidia trees were planted by the department a few decades ago to improve soil quality, considering the nitrogen fixation capability of Gliricidia. Gliricidia now prevents further growth of other native trees due to its invasive nature, which is why removal and replantation of native trees were deemed essential.

The previous plantation’s success allowed for large-scale forest area drives, allowing for smaller steps to avoid destroying the biosphere. The size of the land for planting is not a factor this time, unlike the previous restriction of 5 hectares.

However, the removal of gliricidia trees from large areas drew public condemnation. To keep citizens informed and involved, the plantation is collaborating with multiple groups to ensure citizen participation and keep them informed about their plans.

Now, around 700 hectares of land in Saswad, Vadgaon, and Dindori will be redeveloped with 625 trees per hectare.