Haryana Environment Dept to Create Land Banks for Plantation

Bilkul Sateek News

Gurugram, 30 April –

Top Takeaway

Haryana’s Environment Minister Rao Narbir Singh has directed officials to propose purchasing over 100 acres of panchayat land at collector rates to create land banks for plantation works in 2025-26.

Why It Matters?

With the 2025-26 plantation season approaching, Haryana aims to shift focus from merely planting saplings to ensuring their survival and healthy growth. In a review meeting on 30 April 2025 at the Haryana Civil Secretariat, Minister Rao Narbir Singh emphasized the need for better irrigation, nurturing practices and long-term maintenance.

Land Banks Initiative
The minister instructed senior officials to prepare a detailed proposal to purchase land parcels exceeding 100 acres from panchayats at collector rates, consolidating them into “land banks.” These consolidated tracts will host state nurseries and large-scale plantation drives. Officials have been asked to outline funding sources, acquisition timelines, and panchayat consultation processes.

Water Conservation and Oxy-Vans
To bolster water security in fragile landscapes such as the Shivaliks and Aravallis, the department will identify 5–100-acre sites per district for low-cost small dams. Each district will also develop one urban and one rural “oxy-van”—dedicated forest patches planted with native species like Peepal, Neem and Banyan—to improve air quality and groundwater recharge.

CAMPA Oversight
The discussion also covered activities under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). The body, which channels funds collected from developers for afforestation, will finance the maintenance and monitoring of these new initiatives. Additional Chief Secretary Anand Mohan Sharan, PCCF Vineet Garg, APCCF Atul Sirsikar and other senior officers attended.

In Their Own Words

“Instead of planting maximum saplings, attention should be paid to saving, irrigating and nurturing plants and trees,” Rao Narbir Singh said, stressing quality over quantity.

Dr. Asha Varma, a forestry expert at the Indian Institute of Forest Management, welcomed the move: “Consolidating land and focusing on post-plantation care can dramatically increase sapling survival rates and restore degraded landscapes.”

Next Steps

Officials must submit finalized land bank and oxy-van proposals by 15 June 2025 ahead of the next planting season. For full guidelines, visit the Haryana Environment, Forest and Wildlife Department website.