Bengaluru civic body to involve councillors, employees in planting spree
BENGALURU: In a bid to green up the city, the forest cell of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is planning to give saplings to councillors as well as its employees, who can plant it within BBMP limits.
BBMP forest cell plants over 50,000 saplings every year. However, they could not take up the drive last year due to delay in the tendering process.
This year, they are taking up the 75,000 saplings that were supposed to be planted in 2017-18. The state government has given approval and BBMP is calling tenders for 75,000 saplings.
“This year, we are targeting to plant 1.5 lakh saplings, mainly honge, champak, mahogony, tabebuia and other species,” Cholarajappa, Deputy Conservator of Forest, BBMP, said, adding that they have already started with 75,000 lakh saplings, some of which are 5 feet tall. “For the remaining 75,000, a tender will be called and we will take up the task by July-end,” Cholarajappa said. “We plan to give 200 saplings per councillor. They will also have to monitor the growth,’’ he added.
They have also asked the education department in BBMP to give a list of corporation schools where land is available.
In 2017, BBMP had distributed 6-7 lakh saplings to the public, an official said on condition of anonymity. But the agency does not have any idea about their whereabouts.
“BBMP has 20,000 staffers in all zones. If we give them one sapling each, they can plant it either in their backyard or near their house. It would be easy for us to track the saplings,’’ the official said, adding that they are planning to give the surplus to the public.
“Hardly 20 per cent of the sanctioned posts are filled, so how can we plant all the saplings and look after them?,’’ the official added.
Harvesting pits
BBMP plans to dig rain harvesting pits at parks, schools and other places. “We are preparing the list for the pits, after which we will start the work,’’ Cholarajappa said.