Mangalore: Lions Club Targets Planting of One Lac Saplings
Pics:Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Aug 26: Lions district 324-D5 governor, P Kishore Rao, said that the club proposes to plant one lac saplings during this season. He was speaking after initiating the programme of planting 3,000 medicinal plants, titled ‘Lions-Pilikula Ashokavana’ at Pilikula Nisargadhama on Thursday August 25. The programme was held under the aegis of Lions Club.
He said that the club had taken the initiative in this direction, and that a large number of saplings have already been planted at various places. “This time, 3,000 medicinal plants are being raised at Pilikula. We plan to increase the number of medicinal plants to 5,000. In the coming year, more saplings will be planted,” he explained.
Nisargadhama executive director, J R Lobo, noted that planting of saplings or seedlings alone will not contribute to afforestation. Laying emphasis on activities that are needed for conserving the saplings that are planted, he noted that in most cases, not even ten percent of the saplings survive and grow to their full potential. “The forest department should undertake scientific studies before planting saplings. Trees like acacia and mangium should not be raised in fertile land. Hence, right decision about the types of saplings to be planted is very important. It is beneficial to raise those plants which bear fruits. In addition to numbers, quality of the planting process should also be given importance,” he opined.
He also expressed unhappiness at the fact that the people, who are more or less are aware about environmental conservation, limit these activities to lectures, seminars etc, and fail to put to practice what they know.
Lions deputy governor, M B Sadashiva, K C Prabhu, district coordinator, Edwin Walter, B Sadashiva Rai, Mallika Rao, M B Puranik of Sharada Group of Educational Institutions, Dr Jayaprakash Bhandary of Pilikula Nisargadhama, and several other dignitaries were present.
32 different rare varieties of saplings were planted on Thursday.