Project for planting one crore saplings

Forest Minister Benoy Viswom said that his department would plant
nearly one crore tree saplings across the State in 2009-10.The project
will be implemented in association with the grama panchayats. The
minister said that the Forest Department had planted about 52 lakh
saplings last year.Nearly 25 lakh saplings were planted in the State,
as part of the 'My Tree' campaign launched in schools.About 80 per
cent of the saplings have started growing thanks to the concerted
efforts made by the students and teachers, he said.Mr. Viswom said
that around 1.90 lakh tree saplings were planted using the services
rendered by headload workers, as part of the 'Vazhiyora thanal'
project.Tree saplings were also planted in about 776 hectares in
connection with the 'Haritha theeram' programme initiated by the
Forest Department, he said.Stating that those opposing the destruction
of trees and rivers were branded as 'anti-development', the Minister
said that development at the cost of cutting down trees and destroying
rivers could not be accepted.He said that the Forest Department was
taking on the challenge of global climatic change by planting lakhs of
tree saplings in various parts of the State.

The Hindu, 2nd January 2009