PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state is prioritising ecological restoration, with a major focus on reviving nearly 18,000 hectares of Khazan land as part of long-term climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.
Speaking at the state-level programme marking the launch of the 90-day plantation drive today, Sawant said, “We have already signed an agreement with experts so that if this 18,000-hectare Khazan land is revived, Khazan farming will be done very well.” He added that environmental protection cannot succeed through government efforts alone and requires collective participation.
The state formally launched a 90-day plantation drive under the campaigns “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” and “Green Goa, Clean Goa”, aiming to plant 10 lakh trees between June 5 and September 5. The drive will cover the entire NH-66 stretch from Patradevi to Polem, including medians and roadside areas.
Calling it a mass movement, the Chief Minister said, “Every person must plant at least one tree in the next 90 days and make the Green Goa, Clean Goa mission successful.” The plantation drive will cover NH-66 from Patradevi to Polem, including roadside and median stretches.
He appealed to residents to actively participate in greening their surroundings. “We all should participate wherever there is space along the road to plant these trees,” he said, adding that the government is ready to supply fruit-bearing saplings. “You plant them, and you take the fruits. We won’t take the fruits. We just want greenery.”
Sawant also said native fruit-bearing trees will be prioritised. “We plant red jambhuls and berries for you,” he noted, stressing that the focus is on expanding green cover rather than commercial use.
On maintenance, he also pushed for Corporate Social Responsibility participation in long-term maintenance of green spaces, citing examples of private firms maintaining landscaped stretches in Goa. “Can we maintain them forever? It’s not possible alone. Under CSR, large-scale maintenance is possible,” he said.
Highlighting environmental work already underway, Sawant said the state has notified 25 wetlands and rejuvenated 168 water bodies. Referring to river restoration, he said, “The 4.5-kilometer Tar River was desilted, and it is a joy to watch the water flow from there.” He added that earlier, many didn’t even know where the river originates or disappears.
Concluding his address, Sawant urged citizens to take responsibility, saying, “Do not stay without planting a tree, and after planting it, do not stay without taking a photo, scanning, or uploading it.”
