Haryana Implements Five-Year Maintenance Model to Revive Failing Tree Plantations
Gurgaon: In a significant policy shift to combat alarmingly low sapling survival rates, the Haryana government has decided to extend the maintenance responsibility for contractors from one year to five years. The move, directed by Forest Minister Rao Narbir Singh, will be implemented through a new tendering system starting April 1, with the ambitious goal of increasing survival rates from the current 30% to 90%.
Addressing Critical Green Cover Deficits
The decision comes as Haryana grapples with being among India's states with the lowest forest cover, at a mere 3.6% of its geographical area. "The survival rate has remained around 30%. In order to increase it to 90%, a five-year maintenance model needs to be in place to ensure every plantation is protected, watered, and monitored until it is strong enough to survive," stated Minister Singh. This initiative specifically targets improving air quality and reversing shrinking green cover in urban areas like Gurgaon, which has less than 1% forest cover despite numerous plantation drives.
Root Causes of Poor Survival Rates
Forest officials attribute the weak survival rates to multiple factors. "Survival rates in Haryana have always been weak because the ecological conditions are already tough—this is an arid region with low and erratic rainfall, and areas have sandy, nutrient-poor soil. On top of that, saplings are often not maintained by firms which get tenders. This move aims to change that," explained a forest department official. Data from the Forest Survey of India reveals that Gurgaon lost 2.47 square kilometers of forest cover between 2019 and 2020, while the state's total tree cover outside forest areas declined by 140 square kilometers during the same period.
Comprehensive Reforestation Efforts in the Aravalis
To revive 853 hectares of the Aravali range across Gurgaon, Faridabad, Nuh, Palwal, Mahendergarh, and Rewari districts, over 8,000 saplings were planted in each district last year. However, officials noted that despite large-scale planting, a significant portion fails due to lack of sustained care after the initial maintenance period. The department also plans to involve local communities in protecting newly planted trees and raise awareness about their importance, ensuring plantations evolve into stable green cover rather than remaining short-term initiatives.
Integration with Existing Conservation Schemes
Haryana has previously run plantation-linked schemes such as Pran Vayu Devta Yojana, Van Mitra Yojana, and Oxy Van Yojana. The new maintenance model shifts focus toward active management of saplings post-plantation. In January, the state announced the first preservation plots under the Swadeshi Vriksh Bachao Abhiyan, including a two-hectare site for jal (Salvadora oleoides) at Aulant village, a two-hectare plot for kair (Capparis decidua) at Budoli, and a five-hectare plot for inderaukh or hindhau (Terminalia) at Nangal village in Rewari, where 96 trees were identified.
These plots will be developed in collaboration with gram panchayats in villages where indigenous species still exist in scattered pockets, emphasizing community participation and conservation of native flora.
