In a massive tree plantation drive 51,000 saplings were planted across the city. The drive was launched by Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) with Municipal Corporation and the district administration pitching in.
GDA secretary Ravendra Madhukar Godbole said the plantation program was launched from the city forest on Sunday morning and covered 35 spots in which the GDA Vice Chairperson Kanchan Verma, District Magistrate (DM) Ministhy S Nair, Municipal Commissioner CP Singh participated along with their officers. The local MlA and minister in UP Government Atul Garg and Mayor Ashu Verma too participated. Celebrities, officers and school children, green activists too joined hands and planted saplings of different varieties.
All the abandoned land alongside railway track, the green belts in Rajnagar, Kavinagar, Vivekanand Nagar, Hapur road, newly developed Madhuban Bapudham, Koyal Enclave, Indraprastha residential schemes were covered under the prgramme.
In addition to the Government agencies, the NGOs — Society for protection of environment and biodiversity (SPenBio), Rotary club, lions club and and 22 other NGOs participated.
SPenBio launched its drive in green belt in posh Rajnagar locality where former Mrs India Preeti Bhaskar launched the plantation of splints. The promoter of SPenBio Akash Vashishtha said the tree plantation is a noble course to protect our environment rather it is more priority job than worshiping in temple. If environment is not protected the survival of humanity is at stake added Vashishtha.