PATNA: Ambitious roadmap eyes 20 crore saplings and expanded irrigation to combat climate stress. Bihar has doubled down on its environmental and agricultural revival efforts, allocating Rs 528.87 crore for the 2025–26 fiscal year to scale up its flagship Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali campaign. The initiative, launched by chief minister Nitish Kumar on 2 October 2019, aims to tackle water scarcity, restore ecological balance and promote climate-resilient agriculture across the state. The campaign has emerged as a cornerstone of Bihar’s green strategy, focusing on water conservation, afforestation and sustainable rural livelihoods. Out of the new allocation, Rs 462.87 crore will be funnelled into state-specific programmes, while the remaining funds will support central schemes implemented in partnership with the state.
The Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had previously received Rs 517.28 crore in 2024–25. That funding powered initiatives such as ‘Har Khet Sinchai Ka Paani’ (irrigation water for every farm), tree plantation drives, soil conservation measures and the construction of protective garland trenches. The upcoming year’s budget aims to expand these efforts significantly. Bihar’s Fourth Agriculture Road Map (2023–28) has set a target of planting 20 crore saplings, and the state is well on its way. In 2024–25 alone, 4.68 crore saplings were targeted, with 4.14 crore already planted. The government is working closely with farmers, women’s self-help groups and private nurseries to accelerate the plantation drive.
Under the Agroforestry (Other Species) Scheme, farmers have planted 36.2 lakh saplings against a target of 41.5 lakh. Similarly, the Agroforestry (Poplar) Scheme saw 1.48 lakh extended tree plants (ETPs) planted out of the intended 1.82 lakh.
A major force behind this green movement is the involvement of Jeevika Didis – women engaged through Bihar’s rural livelihoods mission – who planted 81.49 lakh saplings, surpassing the target of 80.34 lakh. To support this large-scale greening effort, Bihar has established 246 departmental nurseries with a combined capacity to produce over eight crore saplings annually. Additionally, 545 nurseries – including 242 managed by farmers and 303 run by Jeevika groups are expected to produce 1.09 crore plants under the Chief Minister’s Private Nursery Scheme. With growing climate challenges, Bihar’s intensified Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali campaign signals a long-term commitment to ecological sustainability, rural empowerment and water security.
