Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Second phase of ‘Vazhiyora Thanal’ on

— Photo: S. Gopakumar

A GREEN TOMORROW: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom planting a sapling to inaugurate the second phase of the ‘Vazhiyora Thanal’ programme in the city.

Thiruvananthapuram: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom said here on Monday that the government would launch an intensive State- level programme to plant more trees on roadsides.

Speaking after inaugurating the second phase of ‘Vazhiyora Thanal,’ a State- level scheme using head-load workers to plant and nurture trees on the roadsides, he said the programme would help to minimise the impact of carbon emissions.

The Forest Department would provide one-year-old saplings for the drive. The saplings would be distributed from 2009, he said. Earlier, the Minister planted the sapling of an asoka tree by the roadside. V. Sivankutty, MLA, who presided over the function planted a neem sapling.

Ward councillors D. Sudarsanan and Chalai Mohanan, representatives of head-load workers unions, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests T.M. Manoharan, Forest Conservator D.K. Varma and Assistant Conservator P. Ravindranath were present.

As many as 17,000 saplings will be planted at 500 centres in the second phase of Vazhiyora Thanal. The department is providing one-metre-high saplings to replace those that failed to grow up or were damaged. The first phase of the scheme was launched in June last year. All the saplings would be provided with tree-guards for protection and they would be cared for by head-load workers belonging to different unions. The social forestry initiative is aimed at greening major roads in Kerala by planting shade and fruit trees on the sides of carriageways.

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