Plant saplings compulsorily on house premises: Khader

Urban Development and Housing Minister U T Khader said that the Housing Department is mulling over making it mandatory for beneficiaries of housing schemes to plant at least four saplings in their houses.

He was speaking during the Environment Protection Day programme organised by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board at the Town Hall in Mangaluru on Wednesday.

He expressed a need for the urban local bodies as well as the Zilla Panchayat to make it compulsory to construct sewage treatment plants in the buildings having more than four floors. Solid waste management has become a huge challenge, he stated and called upon the people to use biodegradable substances instead of plastics for wherever possible.

The district in-charge minister reminded that human beings diverting from Nature is the main reason for most of the problems today. “In the older days, every house had useful trees. People would use the locally available herbs for home remedies. But, today, such trees are vanishing,” he added.

He further lamented over the cutting trees for development. “There is a need to preserve ecological balance by growing trees. The law alone cannot bring in changes. People should take an initiative and be a part of the change. It is not the responsibility of the Forest Department alone to plant and preserve trees. The general public should also contribute towards the same,” he told the gathering.

Khader stated that the concerned authority should ensure that no harm is caused due to the desalination unit to be set up in the region.

Presiding over the programme, Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath said that the Mangaluru City Corporation should take part in more green initiatives and the general public too, should join hands with the local administration to ensure Mangaluru turns greener.

He meanwhile lauded the efforts of the local organisations towards the functioning of the Swacch Bharat Mission campaign.

Awards were distributed to the representatives of various organisations which have contributed towards environment protection.

U T Khader planted a sapling on the premises of Town Hall, prior to the formal programme. Saplings were also distributed to citizens interested in growing them.

Senior Civil Judge Mallanagowda B Patil, Zilla Panchayat President Meenakshi Shantigodu, MLC Harish Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr V Karikalan and District Pollution Control Board Environment Officer Rajshekhar Puranik were present at the programme.