2.5 lakh saplings to be planted in Chandigarh this year
The UT forest department will plant 70,000 saplings, the horticulture wing of the engineering department 30,000 and the MC 50,000
The UT administration celebrated World Environment Day and launched the Greening Chandigarh Action Plan 2020-21 on Friday.
The UT forest department, on the occasion, announced its plan to plant 2.55 lakh saplings this year.
The plan launched by UT administrator VP Singh Badnore is an annual feature.
The saplings will be planted by various departments. The UT forest department will plant 70,000 saplings and the horticulture wing of the engineering department will plant 30,000 saplings.
The municipal corporation will plant 50,000 saplings, while the rest will be planted by other stakeholders such as non-government organisations(NGOs), schools, and resident welfare associations (RWAs).
Debendra Dalai, UT chief conservator of forests, said that the city had preserved about 46% of the total area under the forest and green cover.
“Due to Covid-19 and prevailing lockdown conditions, we have witnessed how nature has started healing, it has made us realise how we can contribute to maintaining a balance in nature,” he said.
A ceremonial plantation activity was also conducted by the forest department at Nagar Van.
As many as 970 school students participated in online activities such as inter-school mobile video making, poster-making, and poetry contests.
An online green quiz was also organised by the UT environment department in which 1,100 students participated.