The Times of India               06.06.2013

App brings MC, people together to make city green

LUDHIANA: The MC has decided to join hands with residents to ascertain places where they can plant trees in the city, with the help of an app called "Suggest a tree spot". With this, residents will be able to suggest a spot to the MC to plant trees in different areas for the preservation of the green cover.

With the trees being felled every day, residents want the civic body to concentrate on supplementing greenery. As for the civic body, it is in agreement. "Suggest a tree spot" is a smartphone app which will allow residents to take pictures of the place where the MC could plant trees. After receiving the pictures, the app will tag the locations on Google Maps and upload the information, along with details of the user.

Suggestions made by city residents will be compiled and forwarded to the local municipal authority, which can use the information for tree plantation drives. Users can also give information on the number of trees that need to be planted.

Elaborating on the app, its creator, Jaskirat Singh, CEO of the company that designed the app, said, "With the green cover dwindling every day, it is necessary for people and the MC to plant trees. Cutting of trees in city and plantation of trees outside the city as an alternative is not a solution. This app will help people to become even more attentive about identifying places where trees can be planted."

One major advantage of the move is that it will make city residents attentive about the places where trees can be planted. This way, the potential of land will be optimally used. According to additional commissioner Isha Kalia, "We want to make people understand that we want to work for their benefit and need their help. To make it more convenient for residents, we are planning to merge this app with the original MC app, Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Citizens' Reporting and Mapping Tool (LMCCRAMAT)."

Meanwhile, there has been good response to the application. The site received 20 posts within an hour of its launch on Wednesday. "At least, now we will be more attentive about the greenery around us. We can also keep reminding authorities of the need to plant trees in the city instead of planting trees alternatively in other areas outside the city," said Harkeerat Singh of Civil Lines.