Modi’s 70th birthday to be a green affair with 70k trees planted in Surat

Surat: About 42,000 trees have been added to the existing tree cover in the city in the last 10 days. Thanks to the deputy mayor of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), NGOs and CREDAI Surat for taking up mass tree plantation drive under the ‘Greenolution’ as part of the 70th birthday celebration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
About seven NGOs in the city, working for the conservation of environment, animals, birds and social welfare have supported the massive tree plantation drive in the city.
The tree saplings are planted in the open plots of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), near the water head tanks, drainage pumping stations, common open plots (COP) of the residential societies, Canal Road etc. “This tree plantation drive is different. It is not just planting a sapling in an open plot, click pictures and leave the sapling on its own mercy. We are plating the trees with the help of the NGOs who will be taking care of the trees for three years till they are grown-up,” said deputy mayor, Nirav Shah.
According to Shah, the trees planted on the open plots of the SMC will be taken care by the CREDAI Surat. The members of the CREDAI, who have their projects near the SMC’s open plots will nurture the plants by watering them twice a week and check for their well-being.
“We are also distributing ayurvedic plants including tulsi, pudina, aloe vera etc. for planting in the houses. Till now, we have planted 42,000 trees and that the target of 70,000 will be achieved on the eve of PM Modi’s birthday on September 16,” said Shah.
“We have committed to plant 2,000 trees under Greenolution theme of the deputy mayor. We are planting 150 trees at the historic Gandhi Baug in Bhimrad village where Mahatma Gandhi had lifted a pinch of salt during the Dandi March, on Sunday,” said Snehal Patel, president of Nature Club Surat (NCS). “We have taken the oath of nurturing all the 2,000 native tree species for the coming three years. We will be spending from our own pockets to nurture the trees in proper way,” added Patel.