Chandigarh Police start distributing saplings to traffic violators

Violators are also made to sign an oath that they will plant the sapling and take care of it besides following traffic rules

Instead of reprimanding those violating traffic rules, the traffic police have started an initiative to start offering them saplings at the traffic lines in Sector 29 from Tuesday. The violators are also made to sign an oath, which says that they will plant the sapling and take care of it along with following the traffic rules.

Speaking on this unique initiative, senior superintendent of police (SSP), traffic, Shashank Anand said, “We are trying to bring a change in the attitude of traffic violators by giving them saplings.”

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP), traffic administration, Kewal Krishan organised the initiative and handed out saplings to the violators.

“This would contribute towards spreading traffic awareness and increasing the green cover of the city. Each person who takes a sapling from us will also have to sign an oath that they will not only plant and nurture the sapling, but also follow traffic rules,” Krishan said.

Krishan added that this drive will be carried out on a daily basis. As many as 150 saplings from the botanical garden in Sarangpur were distributed on Tuesday to start this initiative. The saplings distributed included jamun, mango, neem, papdi, stevia and pomegranate. Smaller plants including tulsi, jasmine and lemongrass which can be grown in flowerpots were distributed to people without gardens at their home.

UT deputy conservator of forests Abdul Qayum lauded the effort taken by the traffic police. “It is an out-of-the-box method. Under the greening action plan we have already planted 67,500 saplings and we aim to plant 1.2 lakh trees by the end of the year,” he said.