Forest Dept. to sell four lakh saplings for monsoon planting

MANGALURU

The eight nurseries of the Forest Department in Dakshina Kannada have readied nine lakh saplings for planting during this rainy season. Of them, four lakh saplings will be sold to people at a nominal rate.

Deputy Conservator of Forests, Dakshina Kannada, Y.K. Dinesh Kumar told The Hindu that as many as 3.5 lakh saplings will be planted by the department alone. It included 1.10 lakh saplings of various fruit-bearing trees, he added.

As many as 1.37 lakh saplings are available At the 1.69-acre nursery in Padil in the city for plantation by the department and for distribution to the public. As many as 20 personnel have been working in this nursery under the supervision of Range Forest Officer (RFO) Prashant Kumar Pai and Deputy RFO Sanju D. Lamani.

Of the 50,000 saplings in small 6 x 9 bags available at Padil, include 30,160 saplings of Saguvani, 5,190 of Raktachandana, 2,450 saplings of medicinal property bearing Surahonne, 2,300 plants of Nerale, 2,150 plants of Hebbalasu, 1,640 saplings of Halasu, 950 plants of Mahagani, 450 saplings of Nelli (gooseberry) and 300 plants of Sampige. Each one of these saplings will cost of ₹1.

Of the 25,000 saplings in the bigger 8 x 12 bags, include 2,352 mango, 2,351 Punarpuli, 2,116 Rampatre, 1,981 sandalwood, 1,756 Halasu, 1,162 Dalchini, 1,344 Sitashoka, 945 Kahibeevu, 864 Hebbalasu, 588 Jambuneerale, 455 Honge, 300 Hole Dasavala, 210 Nagakeesara, 91 Atti, 49 Sihihunase and 36 Antuvaala saplings. Each one of these saplings will be sold at a cost of ₹3.

Mr. Lamani said that the Padil nursery also has 30,000 saplings of Bamboo which the department will plant by the riverside.

The saplings will be sold to the public from June 1. Those who are in need should submit applications at the office of the Range Forest Officer. Those who want 10 or more saplings should submit a copy of the RTC of the land where they will be planted and also the bank account details and a copy of their Aadhaar. The department will give saplings at concessional rate of ₹1 to organisations and other groups that show interest in planting saplings.