Kalaburagi City Corporation has planned to plant 43,000 saplings in and around the city as part of its mission turn the city clean and green. Addressing a media conference at Town Hall here on Monday, Mayor Sharankumar Modi and Corporation Commissioner P. Sunilkumar said the Hyderabad Karnataka Regional Development Board had released Rs. 15 lakh for the purpose.
“14,000 saplings have already been distributed among various organisations and individuals in the first week of June. The remaining would be distributed shortly. Those who want to join hands with the civic body to turn the city green can fill a format and take home the saplings,” Mr. Modi said.
To a question, Mr. Sunilkumar said that the Corporation would, on demand, provide earthmovers and manpower for digging pits for planting saplings. “With the limited financial resources of Rs. 15 lakh, the Corporation cannot take up the drive of planting over 40,000 saplings. That is why we are involving the general public in the task. We have purchased matured saplings that have grown 6 ft. at a cost of Rs. 30 each and will distribute them among the public who in turn are expected to plant them and take care thereafter,” the Commissioner said.
Open drains
Asked about open drains proving to be fatal (a boy was recently washed away in one such drain in the city), Mr. Sunilkumar said covering them had been taken up on priority basis.
“Covering drains had not been a part of the design earlier. That is the reason for the existence of open drains on a large scale. However, in recent times, we are ensuring that covering drains are part of the design. We have taken up the task of covering old drains as well. Considering the magnitude of the task, we may have to cover only half of the drains this year,” he said.
To a question, Mr. Sunilkumar said that a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh would soon be disbursed to the parents of the boy who was washed away in the drain. “Despite the efforts of pourakarmikas and the National Disaster Response Force, we could not recover the body,” he added.
Published - July 03, 2017 12:33 pm IST
