91,400 tree saplings planted under 'Green Bengaluru' initiative

Responsibility of caring for these saplings entrusted to agency

Regular maintenance of saplings will be overseen by children

Under the directive of Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar, the ‘Green Bengaluru’ campaign has successfully facilitated the planting of 91,400 tree saplings since June.

The initiative, which aims to foster a sense of ownership among schoolchildren for nurturing these saplings, has been instrumental in promoting a greener environment.

According to BLG Swamy, Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) at BBMP, the original target was to plant one lakh saplings, with the remaining 8,400 to be promptly planted by the Palike.

A variety of tree saplings, including Mahogany, Pongamia, Margoa, Jamun, Wild Badam, Indian Charcoal, Tabebuia Rosea, Tabebuia Avellanedae, and Tabebuia Argentea, have been strategically placed across the eight zones of BBMP. The responsibility of caring for these saplings over the next three years has been entrusted to a hired agency.

“The project commenced in June at the behest of DK Shivakumar. Contractors provided 10-foot-high saplings, which were then placed along medians and roadsides. Schoolchildren from neighboring primary and high schools were actively engaged, and each sapling was tagged with the respective child’s name. The underlying goal is to instill an environmental consciousness,” shared Chandrappa V, Range Forest Officer (RFO) for the Yelahanka Zone as reported by The New Indian Express.

Regular maintenance of the saplings will be overseen by the children, who have been encouraged to promptly report any damage to their respective school authorities. In turn, the school administrators will notify either the BBMP forest division or the designated contractor, ensuring swift resolution of any issues.