The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is gearing up for a significant plantation initiative, aiming to plant one lakh saplings on September 15. This announcement comes amid ongoing scrutiny regarding the effectiveness of a previous five-lakh sapling plantation campaign that was scheduled for August across Nagpur. The progress of that ambitious effort has raised questions about the NMC’s ability to meet its environmental goals.
NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar has now directed the Garden Department to organise the special plantation campaign on Sept 15. Sources said that in August alone, less than 9,000 saplings were planted in the city. 65,700 saplings have been planted so far this year, according to the department.
“All NMC employees and students of private and municipal schools will be encouraged to take a pledge to plant and protect one sapling each,” said Ganesh Rathod, deputy commissioner, Garden Department, NMC. The August campaign was not an NMC-only initiative, with multiple govt agencies, institutions, corporates, social organisations and citizens expected to participate. Under the initiative, all NMC employees and students of municipal and private schools are expected to plant and protect at least one sapling each. The fresh drive comes after the civic administration and other participating agencies had set the five-lakh target for August. However, figures available with NMC Garden Department indicate that the plantation activity during the month fell significantly short of the overall target. Union minister Nitin Gadkari had also urged participating agencies and stakeholders to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
NMC had earlier emphasised that the plantation campaign would involve not just planting saplings but also their long-term conservation and protection.