This wing undertakes lot of activities and all of them are people centric but the main schemes benefiting individual beneficiaries are as follows

• Van Mahotsav
• Farm Land plantation
• Decentralized People’s Nurseries

• This is a scheme through which the department raises large number of seedlings with the sole purpose of distributing among people.
• In very limited cases like gram Panchayat, schools, government departments etc these seedlings are given free of cost. For others it is given with cost. But the cost is also very nominal.
• The cost of the seedlings depend on the size :
  • 10X 20 Cm - Rs 0.75 Per Plant
  • 15X25 Cm - Rs 1.00 Per Plant
  • 20X30 Cm - Rs 2.00 Per Plant
• Any one can take the seedlings raised under this scheme ,after paying their prescribed cost , directly from the departmental nurseries as a matter of right as long as seedlings are actually available. There is no need for any recommendation from anyone. The payment can be made at the nurseries itself.
• In addition to this if few villagers decide to buy at least 1200 plants of 15X25 cm size or 2500 plants of 10X20 cm size, and they deposit the cost of plants in nursery then the plants will be transported to the village free of cost.

You can visit any of the nurseries select the seedlings and take them after paying the cost then and there itself.

Government can very well give the seedlings free of cost but it is proved beyond doubt that while doing so lot of seedlings are wasted and people never develop any belongingness to the plants. Moreover the cost of seedling is so nominal that it can never be a deterrent. This way we can distinguish between genuinely interested person from one who wants to just show off. Just imagine a simple cup tea also cost Rs 5.00 where a seedling which can grow into a tree is costing just Rs 1.00. So is the cost really deterrent?

• Under this scheme the department undertakes plantation on the fields of small and marginal farmers. The species selection is as per the choice of the farmer. The ownership of thus raised plants remain with the farmer.
• The activities of raising nursery, plantation, weeding etc. are done by the department. On top of this compensation is also provided if the survival percentage is more than 50%.
• Anyone seeking to take benefit of this scheme should apply by October.

• In this scheme we give target to anyone to raise the seedling. Compensation of Rs 1.15 per plant raised is given in three instalments. Usually the target is kept as 20000. So if the applicant can raise the all the 20000 seedlings then he can get Rs 23000 over a period of 7-8 months.
• The ownership of the seedlings raised remains with the beneficiary. He can sell it or use it without any permission from anyone.
• Though the scheme is open to all but preference is given to a person who can keep a piece of land reserved for the purpose of nursery for minimum twelve months. In other words preference is given to one who plans to undertake the nursery activity as a commercial activity and not just a seasonal activity on that piece of land.
• Anyone seeking to take benefit of this scheme should apply by October.

As of now there is no scheme of giving grant to NGO or for that matter anyone for undertaking afforestation activity. All the plantation activity is done departmentally. Nevertheless there are many ways NGOs and other such institution can take advantage of the schemes and get mutually benefited.

• They can promote the "Farm land” plantation activities in their project area. All they have to do is to motivate and put an application to the division. This way they can get the benefit of convergence.
• Similarly they can educate someone in there project area and motivate him to take up DCP. It could be a very good income generating activity.
• NGO’s can take seedlings from our nurseries with cost, transport them and sell them to the villagers at higher costs.
• Nevertheless you can meet personally or at least send your contact address so that whenever there is any possibility for any association you may be contacted.

• You must have heard lot about various problems like global warming, might have written essays, took part in debates but now it is time for some real action.
• Planting trees by your own hand is not the only way to help environment. You can very well educate the people living near you regarding the above mentioned schemes of forest department.
• You can also form a small group and visit the villagers and educate them.
• You can at least send a link of this website to all your friends and request them to propagate the schemes. So never undermine your potential in this endeavour.

• Big trees and small flowering plants have different roles to play in our environment. Whereas small plants provide beauty big plants provide much more vital oxygen in the environment. You must have read in your school days that plants by photosynthesis take in carbon dioxide. While all plants undertake photosynthesis but in trees only the sequestered carbon is stored in form of wood and hence can be stored for a longer period. A complete note "Importance of tree in combating Global Warming." on this topic is kept on this site and the same can be downloaded.
• Department does raise flowering plants but in a very small quantity. Our main aim is to promote tree planting.

You are probably the best person to impart this sensitivity in your students. Apart from simply making them aware you can encourage them to propagate the schemes to villagers. You can have some kind of competition as to who can motivate maximum number of villagers to take seedlings under Van Mahotsav scheme.

Every person however common he may think of himself will have something by which he can contribute in this effort. Some will have money, some will have land, some will have social standing, some will have time etc. You are the best judge to judge your strengths. The message that has to be spread is very simple. A time has come when tree should be planted in every possible place and Forest Department is providing the seedlings to general public at nominal costs. People should take them and plant them.

• Kindly do not look at this as if you are promoting schemes of forest department. Forest department does not gain anything commercially from this nor is this the motive. You are in fact helping a common man by helping him to grow trees by educating him of the schemes which is for him only.
• It is also not necessary that you talk about our schemes. You can very well encourage them to take seedlings from any place of their choice from any agency. That is totally secondary issue. The main issue is promotion of planting trees. If you feel that someone can benefited from these schemes tell him else just motivate him to grow more trees.
• We do not plan to give any monetary incentive for this. We are looking for people who are really genuinely interested in protecting environment. But though we are not giving monetary incentive, we guarantee you that you will get immense satisfaction and happiness which no amount of money would have given. Just pause and think.