India, June 28 -- In a bid to curb pollution and prevent encroachment on the banks of the Hindon river, the Gautam Budh Nagar forest department will be undertaking a dense plantation drive along the banks of the river, officials said on Friday.

In a letter dated June 25, the divisional forest officer (DFO) asked the Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway industrial development authorities, sub-divisional magistrates of Dadri, Sadar and Jewar, and the executive engineer of the Upper Ganga Canal, Bulandshahr, to identify land under their respective jurisdictions for the drive.

Officials said that the proposal follows a representation submitted by Abhisht Kusum Gupta, a member of the district Ganga committeeseeking plantation along th...