'Roots of Kodagu' campaign from today

Under the campaign, ‘Roots of Kodagu’, local youth have pledged to plant 60,000 saplings on Mysuru-Kodagu National Highway with the objective of protecting River Cauvery, the lifeline of Southern Karnataka.

The campaign will be flagged off from Anechowkooru border within the limits of social forest on July 27.

The saplings will be planted and seed balls will be sown particularly in the forest area which was engulfed by fire.

The programme will be carried out under the guidance of the Forest Department. Around 70 organisations had pledged support to the campaign. As many as 400 volunteers were expected to take part in the event.

Say Tree organisation of Bengaluru had provided 50,000 seed balls and the Forest Department had given 10,000 saplings for the campaign.

The organisers said that fruit-bearing plants and the plants in tune with the climate of Kodagu will be planted in large numbers. These plants will act as sources of food for wild animals. This will not only minimise human-animal conflicts but also will improve the groundwater table.

Besides conducting the campaign, volunteers will also create awareness about afforestation. They will urge the public to plant saplings during family functions in order to commemorate the event.

The main objective of ‘Roots of Kodagu’ is to recreate the green forest cover in Kodagu, which will protect River Cauvery, said the volunteers.

The programme encourages collective responsibility in the preservation of River Cauvery.

“One should understand that if River Cauvery is protected, everyone stands protected,” stressed ‘Roots of Kodagu’ volunteer Chendanda Shami Madaiah.