Plastic bags and material are a threat to the green cover. Both forest officers and activists are trying to save the city hills from the plastic menace. DNA visited a few hills and talked to activists and government officials. Vetal Tekdi is a good example of restoration of a hill, where people are aware about protection of trees and avoid using plastic. This is not the case with the Panchavati Hill in Pashan or Hanuman Tekdi behind Fergusson College.

A major afforestation drive is all set to begin this monsoon with the forest department joining hands with local bodies, industries, education and agricultural departments, social forestry, and employment guarantee scheme (EGS) under the joint forest management programme. The idea is to plant local species, mainly fruiting plants like mango, jackfruit, amla, neem, sitafal, and jujube (bor) trees. The bodies and organisations undertake plantation will be responsible for protecting and maintaining the trees.

Degraded bamboo forests in 7,800 hectare area were upgraded by 789 beneficiary families during the year 2011 under land erosion prevention project being implemented in the State with the cooperation of United Nations Development Programme. This project is being implemented in Betul, Chhindwara, Sidhi, Singrauli and Umaria districts of the State.

AGARTALA: With the increasing incidences of man–monkey conflicts over the year in different parts of the state, the Tripura government has mooted the intension to set up a Primate National Park in southern part of the state with an exclusive enclosure for monkeys.

According to report, the state forest department has already conduct the feasibility study for the proposed site spreading over about 500 hectares stretch, along Indo-Bangladesh border to facilitate cross border movements of the animal and a project of Rs 71 crore was submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).