NGOs embark on plantation drive to boost green cover in city

Tribune news Service

Amritsar, August 17

Saving as much as they can to fulfil the commitment to revive green cover in the Amritsar, the-city based NGOs have embarked on individual as well as community plantation drives from the last week. Local NGOs are working to achieve small targets after Ludhiana-based NGO Sambhav’s failed to achieve its objective to plant 7 lakh trees in Amritsar.

Voice of Amritsar carried out plantation drives in several schools and educational institutions. As many as 4,000 saplings were planted during these drives. “We fulfilled our commitment made to these collaborators by planting saplings in Millenium School, Khalsa College of Engineering., besides in local communities like Preet Vihar and on Ajnala Road. We have also ensured that some individuals take up responsibility for the maintenance of these saplings in these institutions,” said Seenu Arora, president, Voice of Amritsar. The NGO will plant 1,000 trees more in this month.

Mission Aghaaz too carried out plantation drives in collaboration with local residents and organisations. Another attempt to strengthen the tree-plantation programme in the city is being made by the city-based NGO, EcoAmritsar, which has pressed a mechanical digger into service to dig pits in large numbers. This will augment the holy city’s capacity to regenerate its lost green cover.

In a meeting between volunteers, members of EcoAmritsar and Baba Sewa Singh of Khadur Sahib last week, it was decided that the latter’s team will assist in providing well grown plants, including fruit trees, which will be planted all over the city. “The mechanical digger will ensure that a large number of saplings are planted during the rainy season,” said Gunbir Singh, chairman, EcoAmritsar.

The Khadur Sahib team has accordingly begun tree plantation on GT Road from Jandiala to Amritsar. They have chosen banyan, peepul and indigenous varieties for the purpose.

As many as 100 banyans and 250 other varieties were also planted in a collaborative effort at various protected locations of the holy city this year. Also 150 trees were planted in the past week at Khalsa College Public School. Saplings were supplied by Supnandan Kaur, an EcoAmritsar stakeholder and prolific singer. The plantation drive was supervised by Khalsa College Public School Principal Sarvjit Brar. She said, “Amritsar needs strong collaborative push for sanitation and greenification. The momentum is indeed growing and the people are adopting sustainable practices. We augmented the sanitation effort with donations from EcoSikh for getting a bus for transportation of Baba Kulwant Singh sanitation jathas, which do sewa (community service) in the city. This mechanical digger shall be available to all those, who wish to plant trees in large numbers.”