Maldives President Solih wants every citizen of his country to plant a tree

Male, Dec 17: Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who assumed office on November 17 after toppling the regime of Abdulla Yameen in elections on September, has stressed that every citizen of the archipelago should plant at least one tree in his or her household.

On December 15, the 54-year-old president was present at the inauguration of a national tree plantation campaign 'RahFehi' and he said there that planting of trees can see people deriving benefits from them and that in turn, can reduce the cost of living. He said every citizen should plant at least one tree in the house, especially that which gives fruits and vegetables.

Solih, who is on a three-day visit to India at the moment concluding Tuesday, December 18, also said the environment should not be compromised in pursuit of economic development. He also stressed on the importance of adhering to environmental laws to tackle the problems of deforestation and desertification.