THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar will launch the State-level greening drive of Education and Forest Departments on June 5, World Environment Day.

Education Minister M.A. Baby and Forest Minister Benoy Viswom told reporters here on Friday that the social forestry project involving students, named `Ente Maram Padhathi' (My tree project), was meant for the posterity. As many as 22 lakh students -- from standard V to IX -- will plant seedlings on the premises of their residences and nurture them. The project is meant to instil environmental awareness in students. A diary with the poems of O.N.V. Kurup, Sugatha Kumari and Vyloppilly Sreedhara Menon and tips for environmental conservation will be given to the participants. State and district-level organising committees have been formed for the conduct of the programme. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan is the chairman of the State-level committee. The seedlings and diary will be supplied in schools on June 4 and distributed among students on June 5. Special programmes will be conducted throughout the academic year as part of this venture. Forest Department will organise nature camps for select students and leaders of teachers organisations.

Kalam's message

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had sent a message lauding the programme. Dr. Kalam said that "realisation of importance of caring for environment has to begin at an early age. This project can be an occasion to create interest amongst schoolchildren to not only plant seedlings, but also care for the trees in the long term."

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