Kerala - Kochi   

World Environment Day to be celebrated in city

KOCHI: The city will celebrate World Environment Day, which falls on June 5, by initiating a series of programmes including tree census.

The Corporation of Kochi will begin a tree census on the day with the support of the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery. The list of shade and fruit-bearing trees in various public places and parks in the city will be generated as part of the programme. Small boards featuring the scientific name, utility and approximate age of the trees will be displayed. The tree census will be inaugurated at the Park Avenue, said E. M. Sunilkumar, chairman of the Town Planning Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.

There has been a demand for preparation of a database of trees in the city. The demand was raised by environmentalists following incidents of unauthorised felling of trees in the city. Many environmentalists were of the view that such a list was necessary for evolving a strategy for protection of trees. The Corporation plans to complete the tree census within one month of launching the programme, Mr. Sunilkumar said.

A programme for greening the city will also be launched on June 5.

The Corporation plans to plant saplings on available space in various avenues in the city. The Rajagiri College has also been asked to identify the species of trees suitable for each avenue. The authorities had earlier planted Kanikonna saplings along the Kaloor-Kadavanthra road. The available space in the newly-developed roads like Subash Chandra Bose roads will be used for the project, Mr. Sunilkumar said.

In the first phase of the programme, around 200 saplings will be planted and around 200 tree guards have been prepared by the Corporation.

The planting of the green belt at the Solid Waste Treatment plant at Brahmapuram will also be launched on June 5. The green belt has been proposed for the Plant as part of the project for preventing possible environmental pollution. The Social Forestry Wing of the State Forest Department is in charge of the project. The formal launch of the programme will be held in the city.

The Wing will also support the Kochi Corporation in carrying out the scientific pruning of trees in the city as part of monsoon preparedness. The Corporation had been using casual labourers for pruning of branches of trees until now. The trees lining Park Avenue will be pruned in the first phase.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Yuva Janata Dal unit elects new district president
Power laundries for government hospitals soon
The world on his canvas
Lawyers enrolled
A bard of love, in her life and work
Make joint efforts for growth: Thomas
Kandhamal refugees leave for Orissa
Her last desire goes unfulfilled
World Environment Day to be celebrated in city
8,635 seats available for Plus One humanities stream
World No-Tobacco march organised in city
Minister reviews steps to combat monsoon diseases
Cartoonist dead
In Kochi Today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu