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1.39 lakh trees cut under Mangaluru Forest Division in last one year, says DCF
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Dakshina Kannada Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Anthony S. Mariappa said here on Thursday that 1.39 lakh trees were cut under Mangaluru Forest Division in the last one year for various projects and purposes.
Speaking at the launch of citizen-driven greening initiative titled 'Amara', aimed at planting at least 10,000 tree saplings across the city this monsoon, at the Praja Soudha in Padil, the DCF said that many trees were cut for widening the National Highway 75 between B.C. Road and Adda Hole. The trees on about 100 acres were cut for the project, he said.
Mr. Mariappa said that the Forest Department will distribute 1.03 lakh saplings for people for planting in this rainy season. In addition, the department will plant 4.17 lakh saplings under the division at various locations.
The DCF said that tree-cutting and planting saplings is a continuous process and will have to go together to maintain balance. Some trees will have to be cut for taking up development projects. At the same time saplings will have to be planted. Otherwise temperate will go up and soil will lose its moisture.
Meanwhile, 'Amara' is an initiative mooted jointly by the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), Dakshina Kannada district administration, and Centre for Advanced Learning (CFAL) in collaboration with the Forest Department, ward committees, and citizen groups, to plant saplings in 60 wards of the city.
Smitha Hegde, a co-ordinator of the 'Amara' and principal, CFAL Pre-University College, said that 4,500 locations have been identified under the jurisdiction of MCC for planting at least 10,000 saplings before this August. Tree saplings will be planted on the premises of a crematorium at Katipalla, at Bengre on the airport road from Bejai to the airport, at Shivabagh, at Balmatta, Kankanady among the locations identified. All the saplings will be geo tagged.
She said that 10 organisations have adopted some road stretches for planting.
The Deputy Commissioner in charge K. Anandh and others planted some saplings in the premises of Praja Soudha, which is a complex of government offices, on the occasion. The saplings were planted on the World Environment Day.
