KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has taken up a major plantation drive to create green verges across the city to combat pollution. The drive, which was launched last year before the monsoon, has gained momentum in the past six months while the civic body wants to plant over one lakh saplings in the next six months.
The KMC parks department has tied up with the civic body’s solid waste management department to identify the stretches that need a green buffer zone to combat vehicular pollution.
A KMC official said the plantation drive was successfully completed in New Alipore, Gariahat Road, Jodhpur Park, Dhakuria, Jadavpur, Golf Green, CIT Road (Moulali) and Bidhan Sarani among other areas. Among the species of medium and tall shrubs and trees that are being planted include Rangon, Croton, Togor, Kamini, Duranta plumeri and Dresina among others.
In some places, the agencies are planting fruit saplings like guava, litchi, coconut, mango, jamrul as advised by some experts. Ranjit Samanta, a horticulturist, said, “These shrubs have the potential to fight air pollution and the drive to plant them will definitely yield results after a year when they will grow to a certain height.”
According to a KMC parks department official, the civic body is utilizing funds available under the national green mission to undertake a special plantation drive as part of an initiative to reduce the growing air pollution in the city. “Funds are no longer a constraint.
Now we need to wrap up the plantation drive as fast as we can. We have asked the agencies engaged in the plantation drive to complete a major part of the plantation before monsoon so that the saplings don’t suffer from the dearth of water,” said the civic official.
Anirban Bose, a senior citizen and a resident of New Alipore, said, “Often we have seen the saplings planted are turning pale for want of water. If we can devote some time and help the civic body in keeping these saplings alive, the city will be benefited.”
A KMC parks department official said the civic body had asked the agencies, engaged in the plantation drive, to check the growth of the shrubs.
The KMC parks department has tied up with the civic body’s solid waste management department to identify the stretches that need a green buffer zone to combat vehicular pollution.
A KMC official said the plantation drive was successfully completed in New Alipore, Gariahat Road, Jodhpur Park, Dhakuria, Jadavpur, Golf Green, CIT Road (Moulali) and Bidhan Sarani among other areas. Among the species of medium and tall shrubs and trees that are being planted include Rangon, Croton, Togor, Kamini, Duranta plumeri and Dresina among others.
In some places, the agencies are planting fruit saplings like guava, litchi, coconut, mango, jamrul as advised by some experts. Ranjit Samanta, a horticulturist, said, “These shrubs have the potential to fight air pollution and the drive to plant them will definitely yield results after a year when they will grow to a certain height.”
According to a KMC parks department official, the civic body is utilizing funds available under the national green mission to undertake a special plantation drive as part of an initiative to reduce the growing air pollution in the city. “Funds are no longer a constraint.
Now we need to wrap up the plantation drive as fast as we can. We have asked the agencies engaged in the plantation drive to complete a major part of the plantation before monsoon so that the saplings don’t suffer from the dearth of water,” said the civic official.
Anirban Bose, a senior citizen and a resident of New Alipore, said, “Often we have seen the saplings planted are turning pale for want of water. If we can devote some time and help the civic body in keeping these saplings alive, the city will be benefited.”
A KMC parks department official said the civic body had asked the agencies, engaged in the plantation drive, to check the growth of the shrubs.
