With a target of planting five lakh saplings to increase green cover in its area of operation, South Western Railway has so far planted 69,947 saplings so far in the current financial year.
According to a press release, the railway zone initiated the ambitious project on World Environment Day on June 5 as part of its efforts to increase green cover and protect environment.
Under the initiative, fruit-bearing plants such as jackfruit, java plum, guava, custard apple, lemon, mango, jamun and medicinal plants such as aloevera, neem, tulsi and turmeric have been planted around railway stations, railway offices and colonies, running rooms, rest houses and on other railway property.
So far, 28,625 saplings have been planted in the Hubballi Division, 24,705 saplings in the Bengaluru Division and 14,617 saplings have been planted in the Mysuru Division. Plantations have been taken up in Ballari, Kulem, Hubballi, Alnavar, Dharwad, Gadag, Koppal, Hosapete, Mudhalpur village, Vijayapura, Castlerock, Londa, Belagavi, Gokak, Ghataprabha, Raibag, Chincholi, among other places, in Hubballi Division.
Similarly, saplings have been planed in Kunigal, Yediyur, Solur, Channarayapatna, Maddur, Yeliyur, Nayandahalli, Hanakere, Bengaluru, Sivadi, Dharmapuri, Hindupur, Sri Satya Sai Prashanti Nilayam and other places in Bengaluru Division and Mysuru, Arsikere, Amaravathi Colony, Mayakonda, Sakleshpur, Birur, Chitradurga, Hassan, Molkalmuru and other places in the Mysuru Division.
The immediate plan is plant another 23,925 saplings in the next two months. For the current financial year, the railway zone has planned to plant a total of five lakh trees. As per the plan, 1.5 lakh saplings each will be planted by Hubballi, Bengaluru and Mysuru divisions and another 50,000 saplings by the construction organisation under the supervision of Principal Chief Engineer S.P.S. Gupta.
General Manager Sanjeev Kishore has in the press release said that these saplings will help in expanding the green cover and reducing air pollution. The plantation drive will also contribute in Indian Railways mission of becoming Net Zero Carbon emitter by 2030.
