The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to launch a mass plantation drive across the city by associating with the citizens on the World Environment Day on Saturday.
Apart from raising awareness about ecological conservation, another important objective of the plantation drive will be to restore the green cover that the city has lost during the cyclone Tauktae that had hit the city last month.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Friday said that a total 25,000 saplings will be planted on 1,068 different spots in all the municipal wards of the city on Saturday.
Jitendra Pardeshi, superintendent of the BMC garden cell, has said that Mumbaikars will replant saplings and fallen trees in the same pits from where trees had fallen down during the cyclone.
"Our primary objective for this year is to involve as many Mumbaikars as we can so that people may feel equally responsible for conserving the trees and may take care of them at a personal level," Pardeshi told FPJ.
"While the plantation will be done by people, BMC will provide the manpower and logistics during the drive. We have already identified the pits where the trees will be planted and will also appoint experts and horticulturists for maintenance of the plants," Pardeshi added.
He also said that by December 2021, approximately one lakh trees will be planted in various gardens and open spaces across the city, by using the Miyawaki method of plantation.
Earlier, last week a similar - 'Adopt a Fallen Tree Pit - Be a Guardian Of The Greens' was launched by the K west (KW) ward of the BMC. Vishwas Mote - assistant municipal commissioner and in-charge of KW ward - who first conceived the idea of the drive on Friday said that so far five trees have been replanted in the pits.
"All the trees that are being planted are native Indian plants which will be looked after by the citizens and as well as BMC appointed horticulturists as our primary objective is to restore the green cover in our ward that has been lost during the cyclone," Mote told FPJ.
He also said that on Saturday, Hindi film actor - Anil Kapoor will join the cause in replanting a fallen tree.
"Many celebrities who live in our ward have extended their support to the BMC as through the campaign we also aim to spread awareness among citizens about different species of plants and trees," he said.
Asif Zakaria, senior Congress corporator from Bandra (west) said that citizens of his constituency have been keen towards organising a plantation drive for replanting the fallen trees.
"Over the last one month many citizens have identified spaces where trees could be replanted. On Saturday we will start the plantation drive symbolically and it will be carried out in a systematic manner throughout the year as the administration has also lent us their support," said Zakaria.
