VELLORE: Vellore Movement launched an awareness drive on the effects of climate change and called for planting `15 lakh trees in the district in five years.
Led by former Madras University professor Ramu Manivannan, the Vellore Movement distributed leaflets outside the municipal corporation office on Tuesday regarding this. Ramu highlighted Vellore's geographical positioning in a tropical region, underlining the necessity for proactive measures to alleviate the adverse effects of heat waves and climate change. He lamented the extensive tree felling to facilitate Vellore's transition into a Smart City, warning against the transformation into a treeless concrete jungle.
To counteract such impacts, he proposed a five-year plan to plant 15 lakh saplings in the district, with an annual target of three lakh saplings. He advocated for the implementation of a social urban afforestation system within the Vellore Corporation, stressing the importance of conserving natural resources and promoting social urban forestry to safeguard against climate change.
The Vellore Movement plans to escalate its efforts beyond awareness campaigns, intending to engage directly with the Vellore district administration and local bodies to ensure the scheme's implementation. Ramu urged candidates of political parties to endorse and prioritize this initiative as part of their electoral promises.