NEW DELHI: Seeking to rejuvenate the Ganga through a massive plantation exercise in its riverscape, the Centre on Tuesday released a detailed project report (DPR) on the sort of intervention it plans for the river which will see five states plant trees on 83,946 sq km of identified diverse forest areas over the next five years. Timing the release of the report with World Water Day, Union water resources minister Uma Bharti stressed on planting of Himalayan species of vegetation along the river that will produce ‘Brahmadrav’, which she said, ensures clean river water.
The identified patches in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal had seen large scale deforestation in the past, leading to damage to the water retention capacity of the catchment area.
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