Nagpur: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday set a target of planting 10 lakh trees across Nagpur district in 30 days, urging citizens to turn the plantation drive into a people’s movement for environmental conservation.Addressing a review meeting on tree plantation organised by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), Nagpur district collectorate, Zilla Parishad Nagpur and Green Foundation Nagpur, Gadkari said an eco-friendly environment is essential for a healthy life and appealed to citizens from all walks of life to participate in the campaign.The drive will be carried out from August 1 to August 30, with a target of planting five lakh trees within NMC limits and another five lakh in rural parts of the district. Gadkari said authorities would conduct an assessment after the campaign to measure the increase in the city’s green cover.Calling the initiative a collective responsibility, Gadkari urged corporators, principals of schools and colleges, teachers, students, police personnel and social organisations to ensure the campaign’s success.“Tree plantation should become a mass movement with active public participation,” he said.Mayor Neeta Thakre described the initiative as the beginning of a new “green revolution” in Nagpur’s history. She said the campaign would help transform the city into a model environmentally sustainable urban centre and expressed confidence that citizens would support the ambitious target.Speaking on the occasion, Dr Satish Wate, head of Green Foundation, said increasing tree cover was crucial to reducing pollution and improving Nagpur’s environment. He said the foundation would provide technical support for the drive, while MOIL would contribute iron railings to protect newly planted saplings.
