Trichy Corp sanctions ₹23 lakh for tree plantation drive

TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, Tamil Nadu: Trichy Municipal Corporation has sanctioned ₹23 lakh to undertake a plantation drive in zone V of the city. The civic body will plant trees, via a selected agency, in the vacant space near all major roads to increase the green cover. With this, the drive also aims to prepare for the heatwave conditions in the coming summers.

The move is in line with the recommendation made by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) in the Air Quality Index Report 2022. In the report, TNPCB recommended that local bodies plant more trees in the floating population area to reduce air pollution. Apart from that, the civic body has also been facing the heat for spending minimal sums on promoting urban forestry in the city. Last year, the civic body spent only ₹22 lakh annually on the plantation drive.

Speaking about the plantation drive, officials informed that the drive will cover 13 wards in the zone, especially the densely populated residential areas and major commercial streets, including Thillai Nagar, Sastri Road, and Woraiyur. Civic bodies will give preference to native plant breeds in this plantation drive. Corporation officials further informed that they have identified the agency that will plant saplings in various parts of the city.

Residents also have raised a concern stating that the local body should ensure that roads are not disturbed as during the earlier plantation drives, the carriageway has been used frequently.