A massive tree plantation mission rolled out by the Ministry of Railways to promote greenery along huge stretches of railway track and vacant land across the country has evoked lukewarm response, with at least eight zones, including Southern Railway, making hardly any progress.
Months ahead of the monsoon, the Railway Board directed all zones to embark on a massive tree plantation programme as part various green initiatives.
General Managers were told to rope in the expertise of the respective State Forest Departments by signing a Memorandum of Understanding and a draft agreement was also sent in consultation with the Ministry of Environment & Forests.
However, a review at the board level revealed that the performance of Southern Railway and some other zones/production units in the programme was “far from satisfactory”.
Tree plantation was supposed to have been carried before the monsoon along the boundary of the railway track and vacant land.
The proposal was to plant trees before monsoon along the boundary of railway track and vacant land
