Lucknow: A green ‘chaupal’ was organised by the forest department at the Harakh range of the Barabanki forest division on Friday under the ongoing ‘Van Mahotsav’ drive in Uttar Pradesh. Minister of state for environment, forest and climate change (independent charge) Arun Kumar Saxena inaugurated the event by planting a banyan sapling on temple premises in Satrikh Khas.Officials said the green ‘chaupal’ is normally held on the third Friday of every month in every gram panchayat, but this edition was linked to the Van Mahotsav campaign in Barabanki. To mark the occasion, the minister distributed mango saplings and free mangoes to participants.The initiative aims to sensitise communities about environmental conservation and encourage villages to become ‘green villages’ by planting trees, harvesting rainwater, practising organic farming, using solar power and adopting environmentally sustainable lifestyles.The meetings are also used to share information about govt schemes related to plantation drives, sanitation and hygiene, solar rooftops, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and organic farming, with the broader goal of moving towards net-zero carbon emissions.People’s representatives from Barabanki and forest officials also planted saplings of neem, mango, mahogany, kachnar and other species at the site.
