Tripura Forest Department would plant 15 lakh saplings of numerous varieties in different phases to further increase the state's forest coverage, Forest minister Animesh Debbarma said on Monday.

The Minister said that in the first phase five lakh saplings of diverse varieties would be planted in a day in the first week of July across the state and in the subsequent phases 10 lakh more saplings would be planted.

Noting that Tripura’s current forest coverage is over 62 per cent, Debbarma, who also holds the Science, Technology and Environment Departments, said that compared to other states, Tripura's forest coverage is good.

“We are keen to further expand the forest cover in Tripura to deal with the growing climate change related consequences and to prevent various environmental vulnerability,” he told the media adding that all out efforts would be taken to protect the saplings after their plantations.

Making an appeal to people, various organizations and clubs to come forward to join hands with the Forest department to make the mega tree plantation drive a success, Debbarma said that the government would try to involve all stakeholders in its efforts.

He said to expand the national highways, state highways and construct various development projects, many trees have to be cut down but at the same time the Forest department’s utmost effort is to save the old trees and to expand forest cover through new plantations. 

The minister said that the state forest department along with other line departments involving various organizations and clubs would undertake a massive awareness campaign to protect the forest and to plant saplings of diverse varieties as well. 

In the hilly and non farming lands, tribal and non-tribals as well as various government departments are planting rubber trees in a large scale manner as it is very suitable for cultivation considering the soil and environmental conditions of the state.

Currently cultivating natural rubber on 97,171.93 hectares of land, Tripura is the second largest Natural Rubber producing state in the country after Kerala annually producing 1,02,989 tones of rubber, worth Rs 1620 crore.