Students plant 25 lakh saplings in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, June 5 (UNI) ''When one tree is planted, one shade is created.'' With this motto, 25 lakh saplings were today planted by students throughout Kerala, heralding a new awareness in environment protection among the student community.

Students of class five to nine from 5,095 schools across the state planted some of the saplings in the school premises. Later, in the evening they would plant them in their houses, a greening drive which would be the biggest of its kind on the World Environment day.

Noted environmental activist Medha Patkar planted the first sapling at the Karthika Tirunal Government Girls Vocational Higher Secondary School, Manacaud, near here and administered a pledge to the children.

As part of the ''My Tree Project,'' the students would also monitor the growth of the saplings and record it in a diary. A panel would be constituted for monitoring the progress.

The saplings are of 24 species, include common varieties like mango, jackfruit and tamarind.

The project, envisaged by the State Education and Forest departments was aimed at increasing the region's green cover to more than 33 per cent from the present 24 per cent.

UNI