Eluru: Minister for women and child welfare Peethala Sujatha said that as many as 1.20 lakh saplings will be planted in West Godavari as part of Karthika Vana Mahotsvam to promote greenery in the state.
Taking part in the programme held here on Wednesday, the minister said that saplings were distributed in 1,200 schools in the district so far and called upon the students to inculcate the habit of raising plants that give fruits, flowers and even medicinal plants at home.
She said such practice would help bring down day temperature and maintain environmental balance in addition to making the towns and villages look beautiful. She advised the people to gift saplings instead of chocolates and biscuits during birthday celebrations.
Collector K. Bhaskar said that the state government issued direction to develop plant nurseries in every school in vacant lands and added that such plants would be distributed in villages to promote greenery. Eluru MLA Badeti Kota Rama Rao said that the thick green cover in Visakhapatnam helped to minimise the extent of loss of life and damage to property during the Hudhud cyclone.
Divisional forest officer Srinivasa Sastri said that the forest cover in the state had come down to 23 per cent from the existing 33 per cent following the bifurcation of the state.
District education officer D. Madhusudhana Rao they were setting up plant nurseries in about 161 schools and assured efforts to set up them up in about 500 schools in a phased manner.
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