Setting a target to make the city lush green, The Thane Forest Department will plant as many as 15 lakh saplings in the District in seven days. This drive is a part of state-wide tree plantation drive. The drive will be carried out from July 1 to July 7. 

The mega drive in the state will see a plantation of four crore saplings. This drive has been initiated by state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. While Thane district was given a target for nine lakh saplings, Thane forest department, however, raised this bar to 15 lakh trees, most of which will be planted in the forest area. 

As per a report published in The Times of India, deputy conservator of forests Jitendra Ramgaokar said, “We have identified a cumulative stretch of 594 hectares of land at 29 locations including Murbad, Badlapur, Bhiwandi, etc where the drive can take place. While a major part of the drive will be carried out in the forest zone, there are a number of urban and rural pockets that have small vacant spaces as well.”

“Like last year, the forest department will be reaching out to all government bodies, NGOs and citizens to participate in this drive,” he added.The saplings used for this drive will not be bought from the nurseries but the forest department has begun planting seed of local species and creating saplings.

“We have nine of the department's own nurseries in Murbad taluka and one nursery in every taluka. We have already begun raising a total of 38 lakh seedlings across these nurseries,” he added.

 While giving the further information, DCF Ramgaokar said, “We have ensured that all of these are local plants and 10% of them are fruit-bearing plants. Another 10% are bamboo plants that will be planted in rural pockets and will benefit the locals there economically.”