Forest Department to plant 11,700 saplings to shore up Mysuru’s green cover this year

Over 40,000 seedlings available for public distribution

In the last three years, the department has planted nearly 1.5 lakh seedlings and saplings in the Mysuru Territorial division | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

Forest Department intends to plant 11,700 saplings during 2024-25 to shore up Mysuru’s green cover. Besides, there are saplings and seedlings available under Raising of Saplings for Public Distribution (RSPD) scheme.

This was stated by Range Forest Officer P. Dhanyashree during an interaction with citizens and NGOs organised by Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) here on Sunday. It was held to discuss means of increasing the city’s green cover and to identify ways for greater cooperation between the department and the public to ensure a higher survival rate of trees that are planted.

Ms. Dhanyashree said the saplings have already been raised in the nurseries and will be planted in Vijayanagar and surrounding areas. While 11,700 saplings will be planted by the department, nearly 40,000 seedlings are available for public under RSPD scheme. In the last three years, the department has planted nearly 1.5 lakh seedlings and saplings in the Mysuru Territorial division, she added.

With respect to the planting of saplings by the public, she said the major issue pertained to the selection of species and the Forest Department was now in the process of interacting with the stakeholders at the time of planting the saplings. While a section of stakeholders preferred flowers there were others who preferred fruit-bearing trees so as to attract birds.

But there was a consensus that leaf littering that occurs due to dropping of leaves was a major issue and hence people avoided specific species like Singapore Cherry etc.

Ms. Dhanyashree said the survival rate of saplings planted by the Forest Department was 87 per cent and over the last 10 years, nearly plantation of saplings has covered nearly 500 km to 600 km within the jurisdiction of Mysuru Territorial division.

The Forest Department takes care of watering during the first year but there was no provision in the department to take up watering for the second and third year and hence she suggested public involvement to ensure greater survival of the saplings, she said.

Bhamy V. Shenoy, founder president of MGP said the meeting was a fallout of the realisation that citizens involvement was imperative to take up greening of Mysuru apart from addressing the larger issue of climate change. He said the unprecedented heat and the prolonged summer coupled with drought should serve as a wake up call.

In the interaction that followed citizens volunteered to procure seedlings and saplings from the Forest Department and take up their maintenance for three years after which the trees tend to take of themselves.

H.V. Rajeev, former MUDA Chairman, Shankar Bhat, retired professor of botany and others were present.