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.Officials said plantation helps stabilise soil, reduce erosion and act as a green buffer by improving the local ecosystem and enhancing biodiversity.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 the river.“The objective is to undertake dense plantation along both banks of the Hindon river to help check pollution and discourage encroachment,” said divisional forest officer Rajni Kant. “We have requested all concerned agencies to identify appropriate land available along the river banks so that plantation work can be planned and implemented in a coordinated manner,” he said.Officials said plantation helps stabilise soil, reduce erosion and act as a green buffer by improving the local ecosystem and enhancing biodiversity.Officials, however, did not specify the land area, the number of saplings to be planted or a timeline for the exercise..