BBMP distributes five lakh saplings, plans to give away two lakh more

The BBMP has distributed over five lakh saplings to the public this monsoon season and plans to give away a further two lakh saplings by September-end.

“We had raised about five lakh saplings last year. But due to the pandemic, not many people came forward to take the saplings for planting. Only half of them could be distributed last year,” said Govindaraju V, Assistant Conservator of Forest.

The civic body had stocked up nearly 7.5 lakh saplings across its eight nurseries during the beginning of this monsoon season. Two lakh of those saplings are from last year. As more people show up at the nurseries, officials are confident that they will clear the whole stock.

“The turnout has been overwhelming, especially given the poor interest shown last year,” Govindaraju said.

While it takes approximately Rs 28 to raise a sapling for a year, the BBMP’s forest wing distributes them to the public free of cost each year. It gave away nine lakh saplings between 2017-19 and another three lakh in 2019-20.

CM praises Koti Vruksha Sainya

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has praised Koti Vruksha Sainya, a collective of several civic organisations, for the plan to plant 75,000 saplings to celebrate the 75th Independence Day.

“It isn’t just an afforestation drive,” Bommai said. “The organisations have also taken responsibility to care for the saplings in the next two years, which has to be appreciated.”