Programme to raise 12 lakh palmyra trees

TIRUCHI In a significant move to convert unused or barren land into patches of green with fruit-bear

In a significant move to convert unused or barren land into patches of green with fruit-bearing trees, the Tiruchi district administration has launched a programme to raise 12 lakh palmyra trees.

As a prelude to the initiative, two lakh palmyra trees were sown on 400 acres at Ootathur on the periphery of Tiruchi and Perambalur districts. A number of volunteers, officials of revenue department and the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), and representatives of industries and environmentalists were involved in the drive. After completing the drive, the district administration identified 100 villages in different parts of the Lalgudi revenue division to sow 10 lakh palmyra trees.

Besides the revenue and the DRDA officials, the task was assigned to the elected representatives and panchayat secretaries of the respective villages. They were given a few rounds of training on the method of sowing, spacing and follow-up measures to raise the trees. Each village was asked to sow 10,000 palmyra trees on the unused lands. The process is said to have reached an advanced stage. A few companies including Rane and Dalmia Cements supported the project through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

In addition, palmyra seeds have been sown for a 39 km distance on the Tiruchi-Chidambaram highway with a gap of every 10 feet. About 180 tonnes of seeds have been used for the initiative. “The project does not give immediate results as the growth is very slow. However, once the tree grows to the fruit-bearing level it serves to the rural economy for years together. It stores the ground water as well,” says M. Pradeep Kumar, Collector. “The tracks of lands, where palmyra seeds were sown, will emerge as a key economic zone supporting rural folks in the next 10 years,” says S. Vaithyanathan, Revenue Divisional Officer, Lalgudi.

The Collector told The Hindu that the services of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme had come in handy for sowing the seeds. It had received well among the volunteers and various stakeholders. Hence, it had been decided to sow one crore palmyra seeds in all parts of the district. The massive drive would take place in July-August next year.