CHENNAI: In a move to increase green cover, the Chennai corporation wants tree plantation to be a people’s movement and has invited residents to plant and maintain trees in designated locations.
The civic body has identified as many as 50 indigenous trees, shrubs and plants in this regard.
According to a strategy document shared with The New Indian Express, some of the trees identified for planting in arterial roads are Royal Palm, Pink Trumpet Rose, Neer Marudhu, Arasamaram, Naaval and Vennangu, among 28 others.
Similarly, the trees identified for smaller roads are Neem, Mascarena Palm, Foxtail Palm, Ashoka and Purasa Maram among others, as well as trees like Panal, Punga Maram, Arattam, Triangle Palm and Fan Palm for waterbodies, banks and canals.
“The present tree cover in Chennai is about 14,000. What we want is a citizen’s movement. We want resident welfare associations to take up 500 trees each and grow them, put tree guards and maintain them. This is besides the efforts of the corporation maintaining trees on OSR lands,” Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi told The New Indian Express.
He said every house can put up four trees at the four corners of their house. “We want everyone to be going out tree planting to make it a mass movement for Chennai,” he added.
In this regard, a meeting with resident welfare associations was held at Ripon Buildings on Thursday.
Resident welfare associations that have successfully planted trees would be awarded appreciation certificates. Interested residents can contact the zonal officers of their locality to plant trees in the designated locations.
Officials said zonal officers would help in facilitating buying seeds from designated government and private nurseries.