Chandigarh kicks off Van-Mahotsav 2011 celebrations

Chandigarh:  The Greening Chandigarh Action  Plan 2011-12 has been released by the Department of Forest, Chandigarh Administration.  Plantation by all greening agencies will be carried out as per the targets in the Plan which is to plant 2.30 lakh saplings during 2011.  To sensitize and to generate awareness among the stakeholders, department is organizing various days like Triveni Day, Eco Club Day, NGO Day, Resident Welfare Association Day, Herbal Day etc. to plant saplings of tree species and herbal plants during the ensuing monsoon season.

In this series, on the occasion of Van Mahotsav-2011 today, a plantation campaign was launched by Forest Department of U.T. Chandigarh at Punjab Raj Bhawan. Mr Shivraj V.Patil, the Governor of Punjab & Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, launched the campaign by planting Triveni – Peepal, Neem and Banyan saplings- in the Raj Bhawan premises. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Patil strongly advocated the need for a partnership with the people to check environmental degradation and to ensure sustainable and equitable  development in the Union Territory. He emphasised the need of incorporating afforestation and environmental planning programmes in all educational institutions and integrating them with the academic curriculum.On this occasion, Mr. K.K. Sharma, Advisor to the Administrator, Mr. Ravinder Pal Singh, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Mr. V.K. Singh, Finance Secretary, Mr. Santosh Kumar, Conservator of Forests and other senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration were also present.

Mr KK Sharma, planted a sapling of borh while Mr Palli planted a sapling of peepal at the Punjab Raj Bhavan.  In another programme at Government Model High School, Sector-22, Chandigarh, Mr V.K. Singh, Secretary, Forests & Education, Chandigarh Administration, planted the Triveni saplings. Talking about the initiative of the Department of Forests & Wildlife, Chandigarh Administration, Mr Singh said, “We will  try to ensure that all the Eco Clubs in various schools of the city take up the plantation of saplings on July 12, 2011. Each Eco Club will be asked to plant at least 40 saplings within the school premises. Saplings will be distributed free of cost from Forest department nurseries.”  “Ceremonial function of Eco Club Day will be organized at various government schools,” added Mr Kumar.He further added that on June 29, 2011, a meeting had been held with the NGOs registered under Partnership Initiative Programme (PIP) programme, during which these were asked to take up plantation in their respective areas. A ceremonial  function of NGOs Day will be organized at Snehyala in Maloya village on 14^th  July, 2011, said Mr Kumar.

On similar lines a Resident Welfare Association Day will be organized on July 15, 2011, wherein residents will be asked to carry out tree plantation drive in their sector/ colony and a Herbal Day will be organized on July 18, 2011.

Today, to mark the occasion Triveni plantations were also carried out in 26 schools where one Triveni sapling has been planted.

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Posted by Vikas Jaatyan on July 7, 2011. Filed under Chandigarh, Latest, Top Story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry