The Pioneer 06.09.2010
Admn, MCC to plant 2 lakh saplings
Nishu Mahajan | Chandigarh
Striving to augment the green cover of the ‘City Beautiful’, the City Administration joining hands with the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) will plant nearly two lakh saplings in the city during the current financial year.
The city with the total area of 114 sq-km has green cover of over 50 sq-km that makes the Le Corbusier Ville Verte (green city) Chandigarh, one of the greenest and beauteous cities in the country.
“The MCC will plant nearly 4,936 trees, 26,696 shrubs, 530 climbers and 41,879 Rft hedge by the end of February 2011 on various roads, parks, community centres, colonies, villages in the city,” said city’s Mayor Anu Chatrath while talking to The Pioneer.
“Besides this, Green belts in Sector 2, 7, 8, 9, 15, 51, 52, 56 and valley of Animals in Sector 49 will be developed during the current fiscal year 2010-11. Green Belts in Sector 46 B, 47 A and B, 48 C and D and Mauli Jagran has already been developed,” she said.
Chatrath said: “Tree plantation in Green Belts of the city will be our focus and tree plantation will be carried out in Green Belts of Sector 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 61, Cactus Park, Ram Darbar, Mauli Jagran.
“MC will also develop around 200 parks in various sectors here to provide children play equipments, railings, huts and benches. The tree plantation is an effective tool to combat air pollution, beautify and enhance the aesthetic value of parks, green belts, gardens, forests and roads,” she added.
“All unutilised reserve lands and undeveloped and barren land will be utilised for plantation in the sectors, added the Mayor.
Persisting in their endeavor to increase and maintain the green cover of the city, the City Administration aspires to plant 6,800 trees and 12,000 shrubs along all V-3 roads, Rose Garden, Leisure Valley, Bougainvillea Garden, Sukhna Lake here during this fiscal year.
So far, the plantation work of 3,400 trees and 7,000 shrubs have been completed and the plantation work is being carried out on day to day basis. The UT Administration has planned to carry out more and more plantation drives during this year as a major initiative to augment the green cover of the city.
More emphasis on planting of indigenous fruit trees like Neem, Mango, Peepal, Jamun etc. will be given during Greening Chandigarh action plan 2010-11 to increase avian population. UT Forest Department will also distribute nearly 20,000 saplings of trees, shrubs and herbs to the educational institutions, medical institutions, Resident Welfare Associations, non-government organizations (NGOs) etc to be planted on public or private lands.
Monitoring and concurrent evaluation, area treatment according to its edaphic and climate condition, soil and water conservation including water harvesting measures have also been planned to maintain the green cover in the city.
To improve and protect the vegetation in the city, measures like replacement of dead, dying, diseased trees, removal of lantana, Parthenium grass and amarbel, control of pest attack on trees, mulching of leaves for protection of saplings will also be taken.
