India, June 4 -- The Maharashtra Housing Area and Development Authority (MHADA) will conduct a statewide tree plantation drive during Van Mahotsav Week, targeting the planting of 0.2 million saplings across Maharashtra. It also proposes to convert plots in Mumbai that cannot be developed into urban forests.

At a meeting of heads of department on Tuesday, Sanjeev Jaiswal, vice-president and chief executive officer, said that during Van Mahotsav Week, from July 1 to 7, various Mhada boards should engage in large-scale tree plantation programmes.

Jaiswal also told officers to identify plots in the Mumbai region where no construction or development is possible. He said these plots should be developed into dense urban forests using the Miyaw...