National Clean Air Program: Ludhiana MC starts drive to plant 15,000 saplings in city

Facing flak over reducing green cover in the city and “poor” maintenance of green belts, the municipal corporation (MC) has started a drive to plant over 15,000 shrubs and trees in different parts of the city under National Clean Air Program (NCAP)

Facing flak over reducing green cover in the city and “poor” maintenance of green belts, the municipal corporation (MC) has started a drive to plant over 15,000 shrubs and trees in different parts of the city under National Clean Air Program (NCAP).

MLA Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal and MC officials planting saplings to kick off the drive in Ludhiana on Saturday. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

In a first of its kind initiative, MC has hired a contractor for planting and maintaining the trees.

The plantation drive has already commenced and trees including neem, peepal etc will be planted during the monsoon season. MLA (Ludhiana East) Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal initiated the plantation drives in the central verges of Rahon Road and Tajpur Road in the last two days.

MC officials stated that the shrubs will be planted in the central verges of roads while the trees will be planted on roadsides and alongside the Buddha Nullah.

MC junior engineer Kirpal stated that trees which have been planted by MC and NGOs have been damaged in the past, for which the contractor has been hired for a two-year period. He added that 4,000 tree guards will also be installed.

Harpreet Singh, a resident of Dugri, stated that MC should take strict action against residents who axe trees illegally. “A number of trees have been illegally axed on the main Dugri road in the past, but no action has been taken despite complaints submitted with officials,” he said.