The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department has drawn up an ambitious plan to eradicate lantana weed from the forest. Lantana is an obnoxious weed which has infested forests and invaded agriculture fields and affecting productivity of land.
As per report, this obnoxious weed is estimated to have spread over 1,85,000 hectares mainly in the Shivalik hills. The Forest Department has decided to remove the weed and plant fruit trees, medicinal and other eco-friendly species in those infected forest regions.
Initially Forest department to begin with 5,000 hectares and later it’ll be carried out to bring under forests 20,000 hectares of non-cultivable land. The necessary finances will be provided by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority of India, the Green India Mission Fund and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act funds. In this drive forest department will also take help of local residents.
