Bommai asks every one to plant at least five saplings

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai on Friday urged people to actively participate in afforestation drives being undertaken by various agencies by planting at least five saplings each and taking care of them.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Machohalli tree park, spread across 45 acres, the CM said Bengaluru is growing at an unimaginable pace and is witnessing rapid industrialisation.  He instructed the Forest Department to chalk out special programmes to increase the green cover in and around Bengaluru through afforestation and development of more tree parks.

“The state budget has an exclusive ecological budget of Rs 100 crore for the first time. It will be used to offset the ecological deficit or loss that is happening. The Forest Department has been instructed to formulate an action plan to implement the plan to offset the ecological deficit on an annual basis,” he said.

The government has simplified the rules and regulations for cultivating sandalwood trees and a special ‘Beejotsava’ programme was launched for afforestation in lands identified as forest lands. Machohalli reserve forest is spread across 97 acres, of which 45 acres has been carved out for the tree park as part of Vision 2022 of the government.