MCC to launch citizen-driven greening initiative ‘Amara’ in Mangaluru

Mangaluru City Corporation to launch 'Amara' initiative to plant 30,000 tree saplings, aiming to increase green cover in the city.

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) is set to launch a citizen-driven greening initiative titled ‘Amara’, aimed at planting 30,000 tree saplings across the city this monsoon on Monday.

The initiative, mooted jointly by the MCC, Dakshina Kannada district administration, and Centre for Advanced Learning (CFAL) in collaboration withthe Forest Department, ward committees, and citizen groups, proposes to plant the saplings in 60 wards of the city.

“It is to restore the city’s green cover for a sustainable future, making Mangaluru a greener, healthier and more livable city,” Ravichandra Naik, Commissioner, MCC said.

It has been proposed to plant at least 500 saplings in each ward during this monsoon, Mr. Naik said adding that the initiative will be launched at 10 a.m. on Monday.

The slogan of the initiative read: “Plant a tree sapling, adopt a tree, prakruthiye pragathi.”

Referring to the timeline of action the Commissioner said that after launching the initiative, the adoption of wards to support the greening project will begin on April 30. The identification of locations for planting will begin on May 15. The plantation drive begins on June 5 on the World Environment Day by distributing the saplings.

“The initiative was mooted after the ‘Tree Count Report-Mangaluru 2023’ brought out by Nitte (Deemed to be) University in 2023 revealed that the city has only 6.24 % greenery in public places,” the Commissioner said.