Gujarat to reserve 1% of land for developing urban forests

In order to counter climate change, the Gujarat government is planning to reserve one percent of land for in all new town planning schemes planned across the state, for developing “urban forests.”

“In every town planning which will be made in the near future, one percent of the land will be kept reserved for urban forests. It now seems that the increasing greenery is the only way to come out of this global warming,” Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat chief minister said while addressing the inaugural session of two-day ITPI-GRC western zone conference held on the topic “Urbanisation and Economic Development - Enabling Livability in Cities”

The chief minister said the government has been criticised in the past for cutting down trees while building roads or expanding them.

“The development plan for cities should be such that there is enough space for the environment,” said Patel, who has been a real-estate developer in the past. “The focus should be not making cities not just livable, but lovable. Therefore sustainability has become important and it should remain at our foundation,” he added.

Pointing to the changed pattern of monsoon, Patel said, “Whatever kind of urban designs one has planned. It is of no use when there is a heavy downpour.”