BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched ‘Sri Sathya Sai Prema Tharu’, a green drive aimed at planting one million saplings in Odisha by 2025, here on Tuesday. The initiative has been jointly taken up by Sri Sathya Sai Trust, Odisha, and the Sri Jagannatha Service Foundation.
The foundation has been established by a group of youngsters comprising Abhinav Krishna Jasthi, Kritin Kodali, Prithvi Prasad and Prakruthi Motaparthi.
Naveen said, Odisha is at the forefront of environmental preservation in India and will promote the environment and well-being of the people by planting one million trees.
Speaking on the occasion, Abhinav said to safeguard the environment from the perils of climate change and the threat of global warming, the two organisations have taken up the initiative to plant one crore trees across India to mark Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s birth centenary on 23 November 2025. Accordingly, the two organisations will plant and maintain 10 lakh saplings in the state by 2025, he added.
Principal director of Income Tax and coordinator of the event Krishna Kishore Jasthi said all efforts will be made to exceed the target of planting and maintaining over a million trees in Odisha by 2025. Among others, chief secretary PK Jena, 5T secretary VK Pandian and Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations Odisha president Sathya Swaroop Patnaik were present.