Chennai: The concrete jungle that is Chennai will soon have more greenery if the city corporation succeeds in its mega green cover project announced on Thursday. Under the ambitious project, 20 lakh saplings of palm tree, 6.5 lakh saplings of red sandal and another 6.5 lakh nochi plants are to be raised within the city limits.

According to the special resolution, Chennai mayor Saidai S Duraisamy said the new plantations would come up along the river banks in Chennai, covering a total distance of 740 km. Palm being the state’s tree, does not require regular maintenance or watering unlike other trees and will suit the city’s climatic condition and rainfall, the Mayor said, adding that even stray cattle would not disturb the saplings.

“The city has just 5.5 per cent of green cover and the civic body aims to double it by the end of 2013. In the years to come, more saplings will be planted to attain the 33 per cent tree cover envisaged in the National Forest Policy, 1988,” pointed out the Mayor.

“Palm tree are multi-purpose and ideal for Chennai. From the bark to the fruit it bears, everything can be used,” said D. Narasimhan, associate professor, department of botany, Madras Christian College.

“It does not occupy much place and also makes the place presentable. But the ideology of increasing green cover with palm trees is a tough task as the tree’s canopy is not large. There are many other indigenous trees which can be used to increase green cover and the corporation should also consider a few native species,” he added.