Agencies
GUWAHATI, MAY 10
The Kamrup (Metro) district administration has sought help from government agencies and private companies to keep the city green. Deputy commissioner M Angamuthu said over 2 million saplings would be planted across the city this season."It's our responsibility to protect trees, our green cover and the hillocks of the city to secure a better environment for our future generations. Planting saplings is a simple task that can be done by the district administration and the forest department, but their maintenance and preservation is difficult. They need constant and collective efforts and we need to work together," M Angamuthu said while addressing a meeting with senior officials of government agencies and private companies.
The plantation initiative will cover an area of 106 hectare, including the notified area of reserve forest, in greater Guwahati.
"The entire area has been grouped under two, five and 10 hectare units and public sector undertakings and private companies will have the right to select any one unit for maintenance and protection for the next five years, or till the saplings attain good height," he said.
The private companies or government agencies will be called for a meeting to discuss these issues. The district administration will allow concerned organizations to raise sponsorship banners for wide publicity of the project.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of different schools and educational institutions and even banks. The project will be inaugurated by the chief minister on May 14 at the Rani Reserve forest.
The city has witnessed a decline in its green cover over the past few decades. Rampant felling of trees in the hill areas has resulted in increased landslides in the city that have killed a number of people in the last couple of years.
Environmentalists and experts said the city will have to face a tough time in the days to come if the green cover decreases at such a rate.
