Keeping SDGs in mind, MP’s Barwani collector transforms barren hill into ‘city forest’ with public contribution
BHOPAL / Aiming for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Collector of Barwani in Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh has transformed a barren hill into an ‘urban green space’ as a part of ‘Ankur Abhiyan’ using greywater and also ensured full public participation and contribution in the noble cause.
Now, the unusable hill that has been named Shiv-Kunj has become a retreat destination for the public, where people can enjoy amenities such as a ‘city forest’, a community fitness spot, cultural event place, children’s park a yoga and meditation centre for spiritual wellness.
‘Ankur Abhiyan’, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s statewide flagship campaign to protect the environment. Giant statues of Lord Adi Yogi and Panchmukhi Hanuman were installed on the hill.
Turning the government Abhiyan into a public movement, the collector Singh has planted around 30 thousand saplings on the hill located in the middle of the city in 35-acre and a part of the picturesque Satpura range. Now saplings are going to become trees and form a ‘city forest’.
“Keeping in mind the ‘Ankur Abhiyan’, first of all, we made aware people of Barwani about the plantation and environment, it connected them with the district administration and people came forward for a mega plantation and contribution. Our officials and employees have also connected emotionally with it,” Collector Singh told The Sun Today.
Collector of Barwani Shivraj Singh
“Besides, we have also planted around 40 thousand additional saplings on other two hills with a full public participation”, the collector said.
“Prioritising the SDGs, we focused on saving water, conserving energy and recharging groundwater. The greywater(treated sewage water) has been used for the plants by drip irrigation. Solar panels have been set up and excavated a ditch around the hill at the down for storage water,” Singh added.
“The city forest will promote the ‘carbon credit’ – a crucial concept to protect urban air pollution because urban trees improve air and water quality, reduce energy costs, and improve human health,” he further added.
Shiv-Kunj has become a gorgeous tourist destination and has been included in the calendar of the district tourism promotion council. The movement of local and domestic tourists have started to the spot. The project is also a unique example of good governance. By developing it, the administration has saved prime location land from the encroachers.
The SDGs were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog endorsed all 17 SDGs such as no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace and justice and partnership for the goals.
Hailing the collector’s innovation during his recent visit to Shiv-Kunj, governor Mangubhai Patel emphasised, “such initiative should be taken by the collectors in every district of the state.”
Barwani has around 70 per cent tribal population and is one of the 112 districts of the country that are selected under the Aspiration Districts Programme of the NITI Aayog.
