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BBMP to distribute, monitor saplings through app

Last Updated 24 June 2017, 19:01 IST

 The  BBMP has now come up with a unique idea to increase the green cover in the city and also to ensure that it is well maintained.

The BBMP has announced distribution of 10 lakh saplings to Bengalureans, but the catch is that they will have to order the saplings through the corporation’s newly launched app (bbmp.sahaya.in). “The idea of making people purchase the saplings through the app is to have a record of the buyers. With this record, we will be able to check the status of the saplings,” said BBMP Assistant Conservator of Forests Ratna Prabha.

“Demand for saplings has always been there. People plant a sapling, but do not maintain it. We have always faced the wrath of people for not planting the required saplings and maintaining them. But this time, people will have to maintain them and we will check them. We will conduct periodic drives and check the condition of the saplings,” said another BBMP Forest Cell official.

The app was launched a month ago and since then, the BBMP has received requests for one lakh saplings. The saplings are being grown in BBMP nurseries. The height of the saplings being distributed varies from one foot to five feet. The officials say that based on the demand, the number of saplings to be grown and distributed can be increased.

The challenge before the BBMP and those seeking the saplings is space. In a concretised city, where space is a major problem, the BBMP too is searching for space. According to BBMP, there is no space in CBD areas, Bengaluru south and west. The corporation has identified some pockets in educational institutions, factories, parks, homes, roadsides, vac­ant plots on the city’s outskirts and properties recovered from encroachment drives.

“While some individuals have sought 50 to 100 saplings, the demand from corporators is increasing. They have asked for 300 to 500 saplings. But the fear of misuse looms large. There have been instances where party workers have procured saplings at low cost and have sold them to neighbouring districts at a higher price. We want to check all this now,” said a BBMP Forest Cell official.

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(Published 24 June 2017, 19:01 IST)

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