CHIKKABALLAPUR: The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) has launched a major campaign to plant 50 million saplings across Karnataka, said High Court and Chikkaballapur district administrative judge Hanchate Sanjeev Kumar.
He was addressing a press conference at the district court on Saturday regarding the planting of more than five lakh saplings across Chikkaballapur district as part of World Environment Day celebrations.
Justice Sanjeev Kumar said Chikkaballapur district has been selected as the pilot project for the sapling plantation campaign, under which a plan to plant five lakh saplings using the Miyawaki method has been taken up.
Chikkaballapur also falls under the Green Ring Bengaluru Corridor. This corridor covers areas within an aerial distance of about 50 km from Vidhana Soudha. Under this project, an objective has been set to plant five crore saplings in the state to enhance biodiversity, increase groundwater recharge and reduce dust and air pollution around the expanding Bengaluru region, he said.
Chikkaballapur district is in urgent need of more forest cover. The district is facing serious environmental stress, and groundwater levels have declined. In February 2023, the average groundwater level in the district was 17.52 metres below ground level, the judge said.
By February 2024, it had dropped to 35.66 metres, reflecting an average decline of 18.14 metres.
“We all exercise the rights granted by the Constitution but often forget our duties. Our Constitution also emphasises duties relating to environmental protection. The architect of the Constitution, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, stressed this. It is our primary duty to protect the environment for the survival of present and future generations. In that regard, it is commendable that the Chikkaballapur judiciary and district administration have taken the initiative to plant and nurture five lakh saplings,” he said.
Principal District and Sessions Judge T.P. Ramalingegowda said that the State Legal Services Authority has entered into an agreement with the Dhare Foundation to undertake environmental protection through the planting and nurturing of five crore trees in the state, demonstrating social responsibility towards environmental conservation. As part of this, a tree-planting programme had already been launched in the premises of the Indira Gandhi Residential School in Appegowdanahalli, Shidlaghatta taluk, in April last year. Continuing this initiative, a plantation drive has been launched on five guntas of land near the memorial of Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The programme will be implemented at various locations across the district in the coming days, with a target of planting and nurturing a total of five lakh saplings.
Deputy Commissioner G. Prabhu said the district administration has made all preparations to plant five lakh saplings during this year’s monsoon. Trees are planned to be planted on public properties such as government school and college premises, government hospital premises, Muzrai department properties, temple premises, cemeteries, around lakes, waste disposal sites and other government lands. In addition to the district administration’s programme, a further five lakh saplings will be planted in collaboration with the Legal Services Authority. Out of the 10 lakh saplings to be planted in the district this year, 80 per cent are expected to survive, and this initiative will be made successful through regular monitoring of the planted saplings.