Sikkim increases its forest cover by over four percent since 1993, Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling said.
A host of initiatives for preserving biodiversity like spreading mass awareness and adopting an eco-friendly policy has led to this feat.
The green cover in Sikkim has risen to 47.62 per cent in 2017 from 43.95 per cent in 1993, Chamling said on Tuesday. The state is “very committed” to conserving biodiversity by spreading mass awareness and necessary legislation.
Sikkim, covering just 0.2 per cent of the geographical area of India, is a part of the global biodiversity hotspot.
“We have consistently focused on how best to bring additional area under forest cover and help contribute to a greener landscape as the Sikkim Himalaya is a part of one of the important Global Biodiversity Hotspots”, he said.
Protection and conservation measures such as Ten Minutes to Earth, ‘Smritivans’, Mith or Mitini Tree (adopting a tree), besides ‘Paryavaran Mahotsav’ have helped the state to enhance its green cover in public and private lands.