India turns 50,000 hectares of land into green forests

These areas are capable of absorbing 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, a report by the Coal Ministry said.

The report, launched to mark World Environment Day on June 5, details the transformation, which includes biological reclamation of 29,592 hectares of excavated land, 12,673 hectares of alley plantations within mining leases and 7,735 hectares of plantations outside leased mines. This is reported by IANS, a partner of TV BRICS.

The initiative aims to strengthen India's green cover and support the National Dedicated Contribution (NDC) target of achieving a carbon sequestration capacity of 2.5-3.0 billion tonnes by 2030.

Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Amrit Lal Meena, said the report will attract significant attention and will be used to further increase green cover through innovative methods.

A roadmap for future greening initiatives till FY 2029-2030 has also been drawn up, keeping in mind the advancements in effective land reclamation.