Visakhapatnam targets 1 million tree plantation to boost green cover from 35% to 50%, marking World Environment Day with a one-lakh sapling drive.
World Environment Day (Image:DC)
Visakhapatnam: sakhapatnam city administration plans to plant around one lakh saplings on World Environment Day, aiming to complete the plantation of one million saplings over the next year.
This large-scale initiative marks a significant achievement in the city’s environmental recovery, which began after Cyclone Hud-Hud devastated Visakhapatnam’s green cover, reducing it to just 14 per cent.
Currently, the city’s green cover has increased to 35 per cent, placing it among the top cities in urban forestry. District forest officer Mangamma said, “We are now aiming for 50 per cent tree coverage of the land area. In the coming year, one million trees will be planted, with each one geo-tagged.”
District collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad announced that the “Green Vizag Mission” will commence in July, with multiple stakeholders—including the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, forest department, and various industries—participating through CSR programmes.
The city has adopted innovative coastal protection strategies by planting Casuarina and Palmyra trees along the entire stretch of Visakhapatnam Beach, from Coast Battery to Bheemli, covering about 30 kilometers. Visakhapatnam has 14,500 hectares of reserved forest within its municipal boundaries, along with shrubs flourishing in non-forest areas.
The city's current green cover of 35 per cent significantly surpasses the national average of 21.71 per cent and nearly matches Chandigarh, which leads with 35.5 per cent.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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