TN CM inaugurates Green Hands project

Chennai, Oct 15 (UNI) The Isha Foundation, a Coimbatore based NGO associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations today inaugurated its Guinness Record breaking initiative Green Hands project here.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi inaugurated the initiative by planting the sapling at his residence, at Gopalapuram here, before the mass plantation drive of seven lakh saplings scheduled for October 17.

While inaugurating the project, Mr Karunanidhi said he was pleased that the Isha Foundation was undertaking initiatives to address serious environmental issues. Project Green Hands was a noble cause and he assured his whole-hearted support for the project.

He said, '' I am delighted to be the maiden volunteer of the project''.

Talking about the project, founder of Isha Foundation Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev said the aim of the Green Hands project was to restore the delicate ecological balance of Tamil Nadu and increase the green cover to a desired level.

He hoped that the Guinness Record project initiative would encourage other organisations to undertake similar projects. Stating that Project Green Hands creating a Guinness Record was mere coincidence, he added, ''I would be the happiest person when others would break this record''.

According to a foundation press release, the project aimed at increasing Tamil Nadu's green cover by ten per cent, by planting an additional 114 million saplings in the next 10 years.

The foundation would mobilise about 2,50,000 volunteers of its own, along with school children and villagers from 27 districts for this ambitious project, Mr Vasudev added.

The project would cover 27 districts including Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore and Salem.

Subsequent to planting the saplings on October 17, all the documents stipulated would be compiled and sent to Guinness World Records with which a claim had already been registered, he added.

The foundation was inviting people from all walks of life to become a part of 'clean and green tomorrow', the release added.

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