The district administration on Monday embarked on a massive plantation drive at the Ghorabandha Theme Park in Telco. About 25,000 saplings of various plant species —Ashoka, Arjun, Sheesham, Sagwan ( teak), Gulmohur were planted at the Ghorabandha Theme Park.
The saplings were provided by the forest Department free of cost. The plantation drive which began at 10 am continued for one hour till 11 am.
Deputy commissioner of East Singhbhum Amit Kumar, Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar, senior SP Anoop T Mathew , divisional forest officer Saba Alam Ansari, members of Indian Red Cross Society’s East Singhbhum unit, school children and NGO representatives participated in the one hour long plantation drive. The deputy commissioner and senior SP began the drive by planting saplings of bottle palm tree at the park.
“We are really happy to see the overwhelming response. People especially students were excited about the plantation drive organised in such a massive scale for the first time. We have set a target of planting 1 lakh saplings in the district during the one hour long drive. Apart from forest department we need public participation to conserve and take care of the saplings,” said the deputy commissioner soon after the plantation drive.
He added that around 6,000 locations were identified in the entire district where the plantation took place today.
Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar said the objective of the plantation was to ensure maximum participation of people and give out a message about increasing green cover. He said that they have given a message to the appreciate nature and the environment around them, with more importantly the need to conserve it.
DFO ( East Singhbhum ) Saba Alam Ansari said that the idea is to propel the drive to conserve environment. “ As per the records Jamshedpur has 29 per cent green cover against the actual requirement of 33 per cent of the geographical area of a city under the National Forest Policy, 1988.Today’s plantation drive would definitely help in increasing the green cover,” he added.
Various corporate houses also organised separate plantation programmes. Tata Steel and its subsidiary Jusco organised plantation drive in as many as 18 places planting around 10,000 saplings of various plant species.
Tata Steel vice-president ( Corporate Services) Sunil Bhaskaran and Capt. Dhananjay Mishra, senior general manager of Jusco took part in a plantation drive organised near Swarn Vihar on the Marine Drive. About 1,000 saplings of various plant species were planted during the one hour long drive between 10 am and 11 am.