More than a lakh saplings will be planted at Chamundi Hills in Mysuru to shore up its greenery and increase the green cover of the city.
This was announced by the district in-charge Minister S.T. Somashekar on Tuesday. He said the exercise will be dovetailed with MGNREGA to create additional jobs. Those with MGNREGA job cards will be provided employment under the Green Chamundi project.
Forest Minister Anand Singh said that the eucalyptus trees on 310 hectares at Chamundi Hills would be uprooted and replaced with local fruit-bearing trees. The Forest Department has been instructed to ensure that there was adequate watering of the saplings to ensure a higher survival rate. Emphasis will be on rainwater harvesting and water recycling, according to the officials.
Buffer zone
However, environmentalists have time and again pointed out that the need of the hour was declaring a buffer zone or an eco-sensitive zone around Chamundi Hills as it was being gridlocked by new development and residential areas from all sides.
Also, it is not the first time that a project to increase the green cover of Chamundi Hills has been announced. Though substantial progress has been made over the years, even forest officials point to the futility of the exercise as the topography and the terrain was not suitable for tree growth. The western side of the hill facing the Mysuru-Nanjangud highway is rocky terrain and seed-ball exercise launched almost 5 years ago did not yield encouraging results.
