Scheme launched to make Prayagraj greener
PRAYAGRAJ: Now residents of the Sangam city can plant a tree next to their house with support from government officials by merely making a call on a designated helpline number. The Prayagraj Smart City Limited officials have issued a toll-free number -- 1920 -- which can be used by the city residents for this purpose, said officials.
Anyone who is willing to plant a sapling in front of his/ her house can dial this number and the forest department will approach the individual concerned and plant the sapling. The entire cost including that of the sapling, the metal guard around it, and others, will be incurred by the forest department and the Prayagraj Smart City Limited, they added.
The move has been envisaged by the Prayagraj Smart City Limited in a bid to provide a fillip to the green cover and make the city pollution free. “An amount of Rs 3 crore will be spent on this. This ‘free tree’ scheme just needs the commitment of the house owner who wishes to enjoy the shade of the tree of his or her choice,” officials added.
Manager (technical), Prayagraj Smart City Limited, Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, said, “This scheme is different from the traditional tree plantation campaigns, being run by the government departments, as this time it is not the department but the local resident who will give his or her consent to plant the sampling as they will look after the sapling during its growth and develop a personal bond with the tree,” he said.
Saplings, under the ‘Free Tree Scheme’, will be planted after taking opinion from the people of the city as they will be the custodian of the trees. Out of Rs 3 crore to be spent on this scheme, Rs 2 crore will be for the forest department which is tasked with planting the saplings. The remaining Rs 1 crore will be spent on developing a
Miyawaki Forest -- creating dense forests with native plants. The forest department will also provide tree guards for the trees planted as part of the scheme.
Special attention will also be given to the trees being planted in this scheme as emphasis has been laid on planting native species under this initiative like Peepal, Pakad, Imli, Amaltash and flowering plants like Kusum and Kachanar. There will be an attempt by the department to try and plant the same species of tree along a given road or street but if someone wants some other species, his/her wish will be respected, said the official.