Jaipur: Bharat Stage (BS)-VI fuel will be available in several big cities of the country, including Jaipur, from April 1 next year and the initiative will reduce vehicular pollution by 80-90 per cent, Union Environment minister Prakash Javadekar said here on Tuesday.

"An investment of Rs 60,000 crore has been made for this. The initiative will reduce vehicular pollution by 80-90 per cent," Javadekar said after planting a sapling at the Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) here.

He said the government has prepared a national clean air programme for 122 cities of the country under which schemes for reducing pollution will be made.

Earlier, Javadekar had informed the Rajya Sabha that fuel conforming to stringent BS-VI emission norms was introduced in the national capital to reduce air pollution. The minister also informed the Upper House that sale of BS-VI compliant vehicles would begin in the country from next year.

In Jaipur, he said the country's forest area has increased by 15,000 sq km as a result of efforts made in the direction of environment protection.

He stressed the need to make further efforts to increase the forest cover to 33 per cent of the total geographical area in the country.

Javadekar also appreciated the initiative of planting of trees by 840 students who took admission in MNIT this year.

"Such initiatives should be taken in all educational institutes, factories and other premises so that we can create oxygen bank for us," he added.

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