BANGALORE: Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's (BMP) annual "Green City" programme is likely to spill over to the next year. The project, which is usually completed by August, is yet to take off in the east and west zones.

BMP authorities had announced in the budget for 2005-06 that over 50,000 saplings will be planted this year. But so far, only 8,754 saplings have been planted, mostly in Basavanagudi Assembly Constituency.

Although the programme was inaugurated on World Environment Day (June 5), it was implemented mostly in the south zone. BMP called tenders for digging, planting, procurement of tree guards and watering of saplings in the east and west zones on Tuesday.

Sources in the BMP told The Hindu on Wednesday that the programme has not been taken seriously this year. "May be this is because of the poor survival rate of the saplings planted last year. Of the 18,900 saplings planted last year, hardly 5,000 have survived," they said.

While BMP Chief Horticultural Officer (CHO) Narayanaswamy said the survival rate last year was 70 per cent, sources said the BMP's priority this time is to complete the ongoing programmes.

"Over Rs. 2 crores have been set aside for the `Green Bangalore' programme this year and a survey on the number of trees in each ward is being carried out. Based on the recommendations of the A.N. Yellapa Reddy Committee, which studied the reasons for tree uprooting in the city during the heavy pre-monsoon rain last year, we have decided not to plant gulmohar, peltophorum and spethodia varieties. Instead, we will plant honge, neem, mahagani, sampige and bahuina varieties," Mr. Narayanaswamy said.

Last year, the BMP had procured saplings that were too young.

"Of the 5,000 that have survived, most of them have withered as they had not been watered regularly or had been eaten by cattle. This is because the tree guards installed to protect the saplings were either stolen or had crashed," the sources said.

Sources in the Forest Department said the department cannot be blamed for supplying younger saplings to BMP as the order for the saplings is placed just a month before planting starts. "So, we had asked the BMP officials to inform us well in advance this time," the sources said.

"The saplings should be grown in a nursery for at least nine months to one year before they can be planted anywhere. They can't survive if they are too young or too old. The planting should be completed by May and the saplings should be watered at least twice before the start of the monsoon," the sources said.

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