City to play host to tree festival

Bengaluru, June 25: Taking its ‘go green’ initiative a step further Bengaluru will play host to a new two-day festival dedicated to trees.

Several events have been planned for the ‘Around A Tree’ festival, which kicks off on Saturday. Noted artists from the city will display their work at the festival. Paintings depicting nature’s emotions, aggression and propagating care will be displayed at several places in the city.

Deepak Srinivasan of Maraa organisation believes that there has been a significant change in the city’s landscape over the last few years. “From infrastructural changes or ecological changes, the face of urban Bengaluru is changing with the diminishing number of trees. Trees not just provide ecological benefits, but are also associated with the very culture of the city and therefore they need to be protected,” Mr Deepak explained.

Apart from the art exhibition, ‘Manegondu Mara’— a tree planting initiative, will be taken up at Domlur on Sunday. Members of Hasiru Usiru, associated with the campaign, will hold talks on the city’s green cover. A talk on native trees of Bengaluru by environmentalist Sheshadri has also been scheduled for the second day of the festival.