Uttar Pradesh govt develops 351 ‘Nagar Vatika’ in 14 cities

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: In a bid to make Uttar Pradesh green and lush, the Yogi Adityanath government has developed 351 ‘nagar vatika’ in 14 cities of the state, the state government said in a press note.

Furthermore, the state government will also create ‘Nandan Van’ in several cities under the ‘Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan-2023’.

These forests will have space for yoga, trekking, bird watching, photography, and forest bathing and will serve as getaways from the rush of city life, the press release stated. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will kick off the campaign on Saturday, under which a target has been set to inaugurate 35 crore trees in the state in 2023.

In order to provide a pollution-free environment and to relax for a few moments in the green environment, Nagar Van or Nandan Van are being developed, the government release stated.

In order to achieve the main objectives of promoting greenery in urban areas, creating awareness about trees and biodiversity, conserving important plant species, and providing a clean and healthy environment to city dwellers, as many as 351 nandan van and nagar vatika have been developed by the Forest Department under the Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council, Municipality, and urban local bodies within a 5-kilometer radius, the press release stated.

These ‘nandan vatika’, developed under a 100 percent centrally-funded scheme by the Indian government, cover a minimum area of 10 hectares and a maximum of 50 hectares.

In densely populated areas of the city, ‘nagar vatika’ has been developed on a minimum area of one hectare and a maximum of 10 hectares.

Across the 14 districts of the state, namely Agra, Firozabad, Jhansi, Kanpur Dehat, Auraiya, Gorakhpur, Hardoi, Hathras, Kanpur Nagar, Etawah, Raebareli, Moradabad, Amroha, and Varanasi, these 351 nagar van and nagar vatika have been developed in an area of 722 hectares, the release stated.