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.