MUMBAI, 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 200,000 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 Monday, 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 Miyawaki method. This method is effective in increasing biodiversity by enabling the plantation of a large number of trees in smaller areas. He said that Mhada's regional boards such as the Mumbai Housing Area Development Board (MHADB) and the Konkan Housing Board should also consider planting trees within the premises of housing colonies under their jurisdiction. Jaiswal set a target of 50,000 saplings for the MHADB and 25,000 saplings for the Konkan Housing Board. All saplings must be geo-tagged. A circular mandating compensatory plantation wherever tree felling takes place under Mhada projects will soon be issued. Initially, this will be applicable to Mumbai and later extended to other regional boards.yogesh naik...