Close on the heels of the success of Miyawaki forest, a Japanese-based urban forestry initiative, on North Devi Street in Srirangam, Tiruchi Corporation launched yet another drive to plant 1,000 tree saplings on Kuzhumani Road on Sunday.
Collector S. Sivarasu inaugurated the drive by planting a sapling in the presence of Mayor M. Anbazhagan and Corporation Commissioner R. Vaithinathan.
Under the initiative, tree saplings will be planted in close quarters unlike the traditional method of providing space in between the plants. More than 1,000 pits will be dug up at a close range of about three feet. Then the pits will be filled with a layer of compost and organic manure. Thereafter tree saplings will be planted followed by a layer of organic manure and topped with a layer of soil.
Sources in the Corporation said that a team of Self Help Group members, volunteers and officials had been organised to carry out the plantation. It was planned to be completed in two to three days.
A drip irrigation system would be established to irrigate the forest. Water would be used judiciously. Within six months, the plants would grow five to ten feet and it would look like a dense forest.
Dr. Vaithinathan said that it would be expanded to other parts of the city depending upon the availability of vacant sites.
