The Hindu                09.10.2013

A ‘green’ Nellai

Collector C. Samayamoorthy formally inaugurated the ‘Green Nellai’ campaign by planting a tree sapling on the Anna University’s Tirunelveli Centre premises in Palayamkottai on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Samayamoorthy said environmental pollution that had led to global warming had affected the monsoon pattern and also average annual rainfall. Consequently, ensuring regular supply of drinking water to every individual had become a major challenge.

“To mitigate this situation, I appeal to every student here to grow a tree on this premise and nurture it like a baby,” the Collector said.

Mr. Samayamoorthy, who conceived this project, has identified Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forest for executing this task on the office premises of all government departments, educational institutions, around government quarters, along the roads and also on the banks of 921 systemised and 1,528 non-systemised tanks across the district.

The Department of Forest, while planting and maintaining 1.28 lakh tree saplings, will distribute 11,000 tree saplings to the public and the Department of Agriculture, on its part, will get saplings, including coconut saplings, from its nursery at Tenkasi and also from the private suppliers.

The officials concerned have been instructed to procure and supply only one-year-old saplings to the public so that it can withstand even adverse climatic conditions at least to some extent.

The Tirunelveli Corporation has been given the responsibility of planting and maintaining 5,000 saplings in the areas under its jurisdiction. Each town panchayat will have to grow 500 saplings and each government office premises will have a minimum of 50 saplings. Even the primary health centres and the government hospitals have been asked to provide ‘green cover’ to their campuses.