Bihar’s Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is organizing a discussion on August 5th focused on nursery creation and intensive afforestation under the Jal Jeevan Hariyali campaign. The campaign, launched in 2019, is a concerted effort to combat climate change, increase green cover, conserve water sources, and promote energy conservation within the state.
As part of this initiative, all implementing departments are directed to observe Jal Jeevan Hariyali Day on the first Tuesday of each month. The upcoming observation is scheduled for August 5th.
The implementation of this campaign is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and 15 other stakeholder departments. The Rural Development Department has been appointed as the nodal department to facilitate coordination. The program encompasses 11 key components.
The Environment Department is responsible for components 5 and 8. These involve the construction of check dams and other water conservation structures in small rivers, drains, and hilly areas, as well as the creation of nurseries and intensive afforestation efforts.
From the financial year 2019-20 to 2024-25, the department constructed 26,482 check dams and water structures. Under component 8, a total of 20.20 crore plants have been planted. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, PK Gupta, announced that the goal for the current financial year (2025-26) is to plant 5 crore trees, with 1 crore already planted. In the previous fiscal year, a target of 4.67 crore was set, and 4.14 crore trees were planted, achieving 90% of the target.