Context: Recently, the Chief Minister of Haryana has announced Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme and Oxy Van (Oxygen Forests) on the occasion of World Environment Day.
Background

• Amid the ongoing pandemic, several states including Haryana witnessed a crisis of medical oxygen that was needed for severely ill Covid-19 patients.

About Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme

• It is an initiative to honour all those trees which are of the age of 75 years and above and have served humanity throughout their life by producing oxygen, reducing pollution, providing shade and so on.
• Under the scheme, such trees will be identified throughout the state and these will be looked after by involving local people in this scheme.
• The Oxy Forests will be planted on land ranging from 5 acres to 100 acres in the cities of Haryana in order to get pure air from the environment which benefits the entire humanity.
• A “pension amount” of Rs 2,500 would be given per year in the name of PVDPS for maintenance of trees older than 75 years.
• It shall continue to increase every year, on lines similar to the Old Age Samman Pension Scheme in the state.
• The pension shall be given by the Urban Local Bodies department for the upkeep of the trees, installing plates, grilles etc.

About Oxy Van (Oxygen Forest)

• They are identified pieces of land, on which as many as 3 crore trees would be planted.
• The Oxy Vans will occupy 10 per cent of the 8 lakh hectares of land across Haryana.
• Oxy Van Panchkula will be established in Bir Ghaggar over an area of 100 acres to create Mother Nature’s green lungs so that residents of Panchkula can breathe in fresh oxygen.
• Oxy Van Karnal shall come up along the Old Badshahi Canal (also known as Mughal Canal), on an area of 80 acres, covering a total length of 4.2 km.
• The park will also have an information centre and a souvenir shop, and people will be able to buy plants at subsidized rates related to their Rashi (zodiac sign) to grow in their homesteads.

Different species of trees in Oxy Van

• Chit Van will contain ornamental and flowering plants like the Orchid Tree (Kachnar), Indian Laburnum (Amaltas), Pride of India, Red silk cotton tree (Semal), Indian Coral, Sita Ashok, Java Cassia, Red Gulmohar, Golden Shower, Passion Flower, etc.
• Pakhi Van will house plants like Peepal, Banyan, Pilkhan, Neem etc.
• Antriksh Van will have “luck-boosting” plants like Flame of the Forest (Palash/Dhak), Jackfruit, Cluster Fig (Gullar), Amla, Krishan Neel, Champa, Khair, Bilwa, etc.
• Arogya Van will have medicinal plants like Tulsi, Ashwagandha, Neem, Aloe Vera, Chebulic Myrobalan (Harad), Baheda, and Amla, etc.
• Sugandh Vatika will contain fragrant plants like Sugadhraj, Chameli, Night Queen, Day King, Night-blooming Jasmine (Parijaat), Champa, Rose, Honeysuckle, Passiflora etc.
• Panchvati has cultural, mythological, and environmental significance. Panchvati literally means five trees which are Banyan/Barh/Bargad, Sacred Fig/Peepal, Stone Apple (Bilwa/Bil), Aonla, and Sita Ashok.