Pune Varsity VC lauds NMC's 'Vrikshadindi'

Nashik, July 17 (UNI) Pune University vice chancellor Dr Narendra Jadhav has described the ''Vrikshadindi'' organised by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), as a ''golden moment'' in Nashik's history.

The project will give the right direction to the constructive powers of students and youth, he said while addressing the concluding ceremony of the ''Vrikshadindi'' here today.

Dr Jadhav stressed on the need to change the present scenario wherein there was progress in the urban areas but regress in rural areas. For this, development of the villages was needed, he said.

Stressing that ''youth power'' was the nation's biggest aspect, Dr Jadhav stressed the need to divert this force for constructive purposes.

He also said the 'Samarth Bharat' project, undertaken by the Pune University, had adopted 500 villages in Nashik, Ahmednagar and Pune districts. As many as 5,35,000 students of the univeristy teachers, non-teaching staff have participated in the project. These students will undertake the task of village development through various things like women's empowerment that is part of the programme. Tree plantation and conservation is an important part of the project too, Dr Jadhav said.

As part of the programme, 2,68,000 saplings were planted at 480 places simultaneously on July 7 this year. Of these, 90,000 saplings were planted in Nashik district, Dr Jadhav said adding that following the initiative by the Pune University, all other universities in the State have decided to implment such a project.

''This will complete our target of planting 5,00,000 trees in next 10 days and the new target will be of 7,00,000 trees.'' The responsibility of conserving the trees has been entrusted upon the students.

He also congratulated the NMC for undertaking such an initiative.

Actress Priya Tuljapurkar appealed the people to undertake more such plantation drives. Mayor Pande in his speech reiterated his resolve to plant 2,00,000 trees in the next four months to live upto the motoo of the NMC which is 'Beautiful Nashik, Clean Nashik; Clean Nashik, Green Nashik'.

UNI