Global warming and climate change affects all countries, rich and poor alike, and are more dangerous than even terrorism, which targets only specific countries, according to D.R. Karthikeyan, former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In the last century, forests had been indiscriminately targeted for narrow gains and this had also contributed greatly to this global problem.
Mr. Karthikeyan was addressing a sapling planting campaign, organised by the M.S. Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation, at Alagarkoil near here on Tuesday.
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The campaign launched by Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers M.K. Alagiri recently aims at planting one lakh saplings in the district.
Avoiding the use of petroleum products, taking to bio-fuel and planting more saplings are the need of the hour, said Mr. Karthikeyan.
He said that trees helped in protecting the soil besides contributing to bringing in rain. He gave away saplings to families of mentally-challenged patients of the M.S. Chellamuthu Trust.
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Speaking earlier, C. Ramasubramanian, State Nodal Officer, Mental Health Programme, and founder of the Trust, said that planting of saplings will be of great help. M. Easwaran, Commandant, Armed Reserve Police (Sixth Battalion), lauded the work being done by the Trust and assured Dr. Ramasubramanian of full support.
K.P.T. Ganesan, Chairman, Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Committee, said that saplings along with the tree guards would be provided upon receiving applications.
Trust officials said that while initially 100 saplings would be planted on the M.S. Chellamuthu Gardens campus at Algarkoil, a total of 1,000 saplings would be planted through 300 families drawn from the 23 self-help groups affiliated to the Trust.