To restore the green belt in Punjab, 2004-batch IAS officer Chander Gaind has made it mandatory to plant five saplings for renewal of arm license in the three districts of Faridkot, Bathinda and Mansa.

Faridkot Divisional Commissioner, Chander Gaind has directed officials to ask arms licence applicants to plant five saplings and submit selfies taken with each plant.

Mr. Gaind said that this will increase the green belt without spending any money and ground water level will also get increased. The environmental crisis is a big challenge in the country today. To save the environment, a small beginning will impact the future.

Seeing the success of the initiative, it has been replicated in many other districts by several officers. However, he wants the government to issue such orders from its own level, so that it will be implemented on a bigger scale.

He is now planning to issue similar order for driving license as well. "It might be possible that we pass such an order regarding driving licence as well. Crores of people have driving license. This can increase green belts considerably."

In 2019, when he first took up this initiative, many foreign media houses and newspapers had covered it. Foreign media even cross-checked it by going to the villages and cities. Only after verification, they published stories praising the initiative.