Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
The Haryana government on Sunday launched a campaign under which students of Classes 6-12 who click a selfie with a sapling planted by them and upload it on an app will get Rs 50 as incentive every six months.
Aimed at increasing green cover in the state, the Paudhagiri campaign was launched by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar by planting a sapling at Tau Devi Lal Sports complex in Gurgaon. The students will soon be made aware about the mobile app, using which they can upload the selfies.
According to the state government, nearly 22 lakh students are currently studying in Classes 6-12 in government and private schools across Haryana. Each student will be required to plant one sapling during the ongoing monsoon season (from July to September).
Khattar told students about the positive effects of plantation on the environment and said, “Every student will get a sapling from the forest department and they can plant it in the courtyard of their house, fields or park, their school, or at any open space. Students can also name the plant as per their wish, maybe after the name of great personalities of the country, freedom fighters or after the name of any of their family members or ancestors. Every student planting a sapling would have to take care of it for the next three years.”
“In every six months, the student shall be required to upload his/her selfie with the plant on the app and he/she will be given an incentive of Rs 50 from the government. Thus, the student will get Rs 300 in the next three years for looking after a sapling planted by him/her”, the Chief Minister added.
“In three years, the sapling would get in a position to survive on its own and in 10 years it will start bearing flowers, fruits, giving shade and also help check global warming. This would also help in stabilising the environment and climate conditions shall also improve,” he added.
On the occasion, Khattar also took a pledge with the students present at the event. It read, “We will wake up and awaken others, tell everybody about the good effects of plantation, will do maximum plantation and look after the saplings, we will help our little friends (saplings) to grow into big trees and along with our friends we will make Haryana full of greenery, a pleasant place to live in.’’
Nearly 3,100 students from several schools in Gurgaon participated in the launch of the plantation drive.