The Forest Department’s initiative to green Mysuru and plant saplings ahead of the onset of monsoon slated sometime in the first week of June has spanned similar efforts of NGOs and individuals of the city.
The Forest Department is planting 30,000 saplings which have been nurtured in its nurseries and are ready for distribution. They will be planted in residential areas as also in open places of various governmental and educational institutions in the city. This apart, it has another 20,000 saplings to be planted along highways and roads on the outskirts of the city.
NGOs have made their own plans underlining the growing interest in protecting the environment of Mysuru. Former MLC Made Gowda, Gundappa Gowda, President of Vidya Vardhaka Sangha, and organisations such as Mysore Grahakara Parishat, Kotrivraksha, Tree Lovers Club, Vijayanagar, and Lions Club have evinced interest in tree plantation to shore up the greenery of Mysuru.
Expressing happiness over the developments, Bhamy V. Shenoy of the MGP said this year there is greater awareness and interest on the part of the people to get involved in protecting the environment of Mysuru. ‘’Kotivraksha will plant around 2,000 saplings in a vacant and protected area’’, he added.
At a recent meeting in the city, Mr.Made Gowda and others decided to plant at least least 7,000 trees and make Hebbal the greenest part of Mysuru. A few educational institutions too are being roped in and there will be talks in schools to encourage children to plant a sapling each and cover all the wards of the Mysuru City Corporation.
Similar efforts will be made to rope in industries in Mysuru to take up afforestation programme on a large scale with the assistance of the Forest department. It has also been decided promote urban forestry in some of the parks in the city.
Meanwhile, members of the Tree Lovers Club, Vijayanagar, have similar plans and Mandetira.N. Subramani, President, VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust, said the club planted 2.200 saplings last year and as part of its urban greening project, intends to plant around 2,000 saplings this year. Its members will also conduct ‘’Shramadan’’ or voluntary service on Saturday in Vijayanagar to clear the local park of liquor and plastic bottles left behind by miscreants.
Meanwhile, the Mysuru Division of South Western Railways has converted a neglected plot of land on its premises used as a dumping yard, into a garden at a cost of ₹3.85 lakh and increased the green cover. The newly created park has been named ‘’Vivekananda Park’’ as it is situated between Ramakrishna Ashram and Ramakrsihna Vidyashala.
