A special drive to plant about one lakh neem saplings in 10 coastal districts of the State was launched by Hindustan Unilever Limited - Hamam, in association with The Hindu group, on Friday, marking the Tamil New Year’s Day.
The ‘Hamam Green Puthaandu,’ initiative is aimed at growing native tree species, which are more cyclone resistant, even while improving the green cover. In the Central region, the drive was launched in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Pudukottai districts. The plantation drive will go on till June 5, the World Environment Day.
Launching the drive at the Sivagangai Park in Thanjavur, G. Bhaskaran, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil University, Thanjavur, welcomed the move to plant neem saplings.
The general secretary of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, S. Ranganathan, inaugurated the greening drive at the Bharathidasan University Constituent Arts and Science College at Nannilam in the presence of S. Kamaraj, the college principal.
In Nagapattinam, Collector S. Palanisamy inaugurated the exercise at Akkaraipettai in the presence of fisherfolk leaders.
Collector S. Ganesh planted a sapling to mark the inauguration of the initiative at the Municipal High School in Kamarajapuram in Pudukottai.
