Bihar Environment Minister reviews Green Credit Programme to boost afforestation

Patna: A review meeting on the Green Credit Programme was held at Aranya Bhawan under the chairmanship of Dr Prem Kumar, Bihar’s environment minister. The meeting was attended by senior officials, including the secretary and special secretary of the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the principal chief conservator of forests, and other senior forest officers.

The Green Credit Rules, notified by the central government on October 12, 2023 under the Environment Protection Act, aim to encourage voluntary tree plantation and create an inventory of wastelands for afforestation initiatives. The programme aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of promoting “Pro Planet People,” discussed during the G20 Summit held in 2023, by incentivising climate-positive actions.

Green Credits serve as units of recognition for individuals, organisations, and entities undertaking activities that benefit the environment, contributing to sustainability and climate change mitigation. The programme is also designed to develop a dynamic land bank for plantations accessible through a dedicated web portal.

Minister Prem Kumar emphasised that the Green Credit Programme is critical to increasing Bihar’s green cover. He noted that plantation schemes are currently being implemented on 880 hectares of land across Munger, Rohtas, Kaimur, Nawada, Banka, and Gaya forest divisions. He directed officials to explore opportunities for Green Credit plantation projects on degraded forest land as well as agricultural fallow land.

The initiative encourages participation from government institutions, public sector undertakings, NGOs, private organisations, and individuals to take up afforestation projects, fostering a collective approach to ecological conservation. Minister Prem Kumar underlined the importance of utilising the Green Credit incentive to drive sustainable efforts and expand the state’s green footprint.