The state of Bihar is set to witness a significant environmental initiative with the upcoming Jal Jeevan Hariyali campaign, spearheaded by the Department of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. A discussion focused on nursery creation and intensive afforestation is slated for August 5th. The Jal Jeevan Hariyali campaign, launched in 2019, represents the state’s commitment to address climate change, expand green cover, preserve water resources, and promote energy conservation.
A key directive of the campaign requires all implementing departments to observe Jal Jeevan Hariyali Day on the first Tuesday of each month. This year, the observance will take place on August 5th.
The Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in partnership with 15 other stakeholder departments, is executing the campaign. The Rural Development Department serves as the nodal agency, ensuring coordination among the involved departments. The program consists of 11 components.
The Environment Department is responsible for components 5 and 8, which focus on building check dams and other water harvesting structures in smaller water bodies and mountainous regions, alongside nursery creation and extensive afforestation efforts.
From the financial year 2019-20 to 2024-25, the department completed the construction of 26,482 check dams and water structures. Additionally, 20.20 crore plants were planted under component 8. According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, PK Gupta, the target for the current financial year (2025-26) is to plant 5 crore trees, with 1 crore already planted. The previous fiscal year (2024-25) saw a planting target of 4.67 crore, with 4.14 crore plants planted, achieving 90% of the set goal.