School children to plant 2 million saplings in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10: School children will create a worldrecord by planting two million saplings in a single day in Kerala aspart of a government-sponsored programme to promote afforestation.

Inaugurating the Ponmudi eco-tourism project at Ponmudi, about 55km from here yesterday, state Forest Minister Binoy Viswam said thegovernment would distribute two million saplings through schools in thestate in connection with the 'World Environment Day' on June 5.

The saplings will jbe distributedto the students from fifth to ninth standard to plant it in their homes.

Mr Viswam said necessary instructions had been issued to the forest officials to provide the maximum of number of saplings.

To encourage students, a grace mark would be given to each students according to the care they provide to the trees.

Claiming that the present world record in planting maximum numberof trees at a day was 15 lakhs, he said the aim of the government wasto break the record by planting 20 lakh saplings in a single day.

The Forest Minister expressed hope that within three years the state would become more green.

As part of social afforestation, the government would never plantacacia trees in the state and instead plant fruit and flower trees.

Mr Viswam said with the help of head load workers in the state,trees would be planted on the sides of National Highways in the state.

UNI