Encouraged by the success of ‘Vanche Gujarat' to instill the habit of reading among Gujaratis, Gujarat Government is launching ‘Vave Gujarat' drive, government spokespersons-ministers Jay Narayan Vyas and Saurabh Patel said here today.
Giving details of the campaign, the ministers said the plan is to sow total 9.80-crore saplings on 13,200 ha of land during the monsoon across the state, being supplied through 430 permanent nurseries and 4,140 decentralized nurseries, besides 250 temporary nurseries started in the urban areas and 500 in the rural areas.
The event assumes significance owing to the United Nations is celebrating 2011 as the International Year of Forestry.
It will begin with sowing 9,660 saplings of over 30 types of tress on 6.5 ha of land, near Jepura-Champaner Bypass near the Pavagadh Mahakali Shaktipeeth. It is named ‘Virasat Van' (meaning heritage forest), under seven sub-heads ‘Aradhya', ‘Arogya', ‘Ajivika', ‘Anand', ‘Sanskritik;, ‘Nisarg' and ‘Jaivik' Vans.
The annual Van Mahotsav is being celebrated under the leadership of the Chief Minister for the last eight years in different names, such as ‘Punit Van' from Gandhinagar in 2004, ‘Mangalya Van' from Ambaji in 2005, ‘Tirthakar Van' from Taranga in 2006, ‘Harihar Van' from Somnath in 2007, ‘Bhakti Van' from Chotila in 2008, ‘Shyamal Van' from Shamlaji in 2009 and as ‘Pavak Van' from Palitana in 2010.
The statewide campaign will be implemented by all the departments concerned, notably Local Self Government, Panchayati Raj, Agricultural and Cooperative Institutions, Social Organizations, Educational Institutes and Industrial Houses, under the guidance of Forest Minister Mangubhai Patel and Minister of State Kiritsinhji Rana. Panchmahals district's guardian minister Fakirbhai Vaghela has also chipped in his mite in motivating people to make a success of the campaign.
