CUDDALORE: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board Member-Secretary T. Sekhar has applauded the steps taken by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation to expand the green cover in the Neyveli Township.

Delivering a speech at the Safety Week celebrations, Mr. Sekhar said the NLC had raised 170 lakh trees on its campus over a period of time. There were two lakh residents in the township and the floating population was estimated to be one lakh.

Therefore, the people-tree ratio worked out to 1: 60, which he said was a unique and remarkable achievement. The dense foliage in the township had reduced the mean temperature by about 2 degree Celsius, he said.

Mr. Sekhar further said apart from timber and fodder value, the trees had astounding ecological functions to perform. According to scientific studies, a 50-year-old tree's ecological function was worth Rs.16 lakh.

A tree-belt of 10 metres had the capability to bring down the noise level by 10 decibels and the cluster of trees in an acre of land had the potential to absorb six tonnes of sulphur dioxide.

Therefore, Mr. Sekhar stressed the need for preserving and proliferating green cover elsewhere by emulating the NLC. He said the NLC had done creditably well in the sphere of industrial safety and added that it should aspire to achieve cent per cent safety.

"Acquire technical knowledge"

NLC Director (Planning and Projects) A.R. Ansari said the NLC had taken all possible safety measures. However, it was up to the individual concerned to ensure personal safety.

As technical advancement was spreading fast, there was considerable increase in the number of accidents owing to lack of knowledge. Hence, he called upon the employees to acquire technical knowledge and clear understanding of safety.

Mr. Ansari underscored the point that there should not be any compromise on safety. In this regard he advocated five hallmarks such as self-management, self-responsibility, self-esteem, integrity and sociability.

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