BIJAPUR: The T.K. Patil Benakatti Charitable Trust headed by film producer Basantkumar Patil is set to launch a project of nurturing 1 lakh trees in a 15-km radius of Bijapur city on either side of various roads from Thursday. Announcing this at a press conference here on Tuesday,

Mr. Patil said the Bijapur-Ukkali Road and the Bijapur-Sindagi Road had been chosen for the first phase. Minister for Forest and Mines and Geology Chennigappa would launch the programme that would be attended by, among other, the Siddeshwar Swamiji of Jnanayogashrama. He said the trust had set up a separate wing to look after the project. As many as 4,000 saplings would be planted and fenced initially. They would be nursed with regular water feeding and fertilizers for three years, after which the Department of Forest would take charge. Other roads would be taken up in the next phase. Factors such as road-widening had been kept in mind while developing tree rows.

He said this was a herculean task that could not be executed without the p articipation of the public. The trust was requested people to come forward to grow a tree each. Their names and contribution in this regard would be documented by the trust. Mr. Patil, who is a native of Bijapur, said the region was prone to drought and needed vegetation.

The aim of taking up the plantation programme was create awareness among people about the advantage of trees and their role in protecting the ecological balance. Office-bearers of the trust K.T. Patil and R.T. Patil were present.

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