Tripura Forest and Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia told reporters here that the state government has decided to plant at least 10 lakh trees across the state this year.
"The 70th anniversary of the 'Banomotsav' (annual afforestation celebrations) would be held at Sachirambari (in southern Tripura) on July 2. From July 2, plantation of at least ten lakh trees of numerous varieties and species would start simultaneously across the state," Jamatia said.
He said that the state government has already announced that it would provide Rs 200 per month to those families residing along important roads for maintaining and protection of the roadside plantations to make Tripura a beautiful green state and attract tourists.
Meanwhile, like previous years, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) youth organisation, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), has been distributing saplings of diverse species among people for planting.
"The week-long free distribution of saplings programme of DYFI has become a very popular annual event and people are very cheerfully participating in the environment-friendly scheme," DYFI Secretary Nabarun Deb told .
Meanwhile, the forest department has suspended three senior officials earlier this week for their involvement in illicit felling of some centuries-old trees in Agartala.
In Mizoram, the state government has also undertaken a massive afforestation programme. The state observed "Green Mizoram Day" on Tuesday.
While addressing an event on the occasion of "Green Mizoram Day", Chief Minister Zoramthanga said that the state would be made a model among the eight Northeastern states with the planting of lakhs of trees in the coming days.
Mizoram Principal Chief Conservator of Forests C.H. Muralidhar Rao said that around 39 lakh trees had been planted in the state since 1999.
( With inputs from IANS )