Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], October 1 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated Sarvodaya Van at Odadar in Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, as part of the 77th State-Level Van Mahotsav on Thursday.
According to the release, Sarvodaya Van has been developed across 14 hectares at a cost of Rs. 20 crore, with 1.5 lakh saplings belonging to around 70 different species. Patel said the inauguration of Gujarat’s 25th Sanskrutik Van, marking 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public service, made the occasion even more special.
Along with inaugurating Sarvodaya Van, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 14 development projects worth Rs. 113 crore in Porbandar district. He also provided free housing plots to nomadic families and distributed aids and appliances to Divyangs.
The event was attended by Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia and Minister of State for Forests Pravin Kumar Mali. The Chief Minister also distributed forest produce cheques to the concerned villages and talukas, the release stated.
Patel described Van Mahotsav as Gujarat’s resolve to promote development while protecting the environment, and said that the Prime Minister had created a strong ecosystem for environmental conservation in the state, ensuring that development goes hand in hand with environmental protection and enrichment.
Highlighting the role of the ‘Van Kavach’ and ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiatives launched by the Prime Minister to increase the green cover of Mother Earth, the Chief Minister said that 789 Van Kavach projects had been created across 1,140 hectares in the state in the last three years. Also, under ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 3.0’, against the target of 3 crore saplings, plantation of 6.9 crore saplings had been completed so far.
The Chief Minister highlighted the efforts undertaken by the Prime Minister for environment-friendly development, increasing green cover, and the conservation and enrichment of wildlife, saying these had yielded successful results. The lion population had increased to 851 and its range had also expanded. He stated that Barda had now become a habitat for lions.
Patel emphasised that Gujarat’s forest cover had increased by 70.64 square kilometres over the past two decades, along with an increase of 2,596 square kilometres in tree cover, 2,461 square kilometres in green cover and 253 square kilometres in mangrove cover. He called upon everyone to support the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 by promoting development while protecting forests, wildlife and the environment.
Presenting the development works undertaken in Porbandar over the last three years, Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia stated that after the first lion arrived in Barda Hills in 2023, the area was now home to 26 lions.
He said development had received a boost through initiatives including approval for safari parks such as Jungle Safari and Devalia, planning of a bird sanctuary at a cost of Rs. 200 crore and a bird sanctuary at Medha Creek, an international shipbuilding yard at Kuchhadi at an estimated cost of around Rs. 27,000 crore, granting Porbandar the status of a Municipal Corporation, and four expressway projects worth Rs. 1 lakh crore connecting Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Porbandar and other locations.
Minister of State for Forest and Environment Pravin Mali highlighted the distinct features of Porbandar district, including its marine ecosystem, various tree species such as Rayan and Sharu, and the rare wildlife species pangolin found in Barda Sanctuary. He described the ‘Sarvodaya Van’, enriched with plantations of various tree species, as an addition to Porbandar’s natural landscape and congratulated all forest officers and employees for developing the forest.
On the occasion, Porbandar MP and Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, conveyed his greetings through a virtual message.
Several publications were also released in the presence of the Chief Minister and other dignitaries, including ‘Namo Vad Van’, ‘From Van to Vandan’, which weaves together the journey from nature to culture, ‘Barda – A Landscape of Hope’, which narrates the story of the revival of Barda Hills, and the booklet titled ‘Status Survey of Dugong and Other Marine Mammals and Ecological Assessment of Seagrass Habitats Around Narara and Adjacent Islands, Gulf of Kutch’.
MoUs were also signed with seven companies for the development of mega nurseries under the PPP model. (ANI)
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