A consultative meeting with the line departments in the run up to the one crore palm seed plantation drive envisioned along the banks of Cauvery from Hogenakkal to Poompuhar was chaired by Collector K. Shanthi at the Collectorate here on Friday.
The plantation drive aimed at boosting palmyra trees in the State was floated by Tiruvarur-based NGO Green Needa, jointly with the Chennai-based Tamil Nadu Volunteers, Tamil Nadu Pasumai Iyakkam and under the auspices of the Department of Environment and Climate Change.
The palmyra plantation drive has proposed one crore palm seed plantation drive along 416 km of the Cauvery up to Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai, where the river meets the sea.
The drive also aims at creating awareness about the State tree which is the palmyra and its benefits for the environment starting with its ability to bind soil, and prevent erosion among others. The drive is aimed at reversing the invisibilisation of the tree taken over by other exotic trees.
The proposed plantation drive will cover 416 km along the banks of Cauvery on either side flowing through Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Karur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, and Mayiladuthurai.
The drive will commence at Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri, which is the entry point of Cauvery into Tamil Nadu and cover eight districts through which the river traverses up to Poompuhar, where it meets the sea.
Following this, a similar palmyra seed plantation drive will be taken up along all the other water bodies across all the districts in the State.
The drive will begin with a seed bank drive commencing on September 1, when palmyra seeds will be sourced and the plantation will commence in Hogenakkal on September 8.
Over 100 voluntary organisations, groups are participating in the drive. Students, government departments, and others participating in the drive may register themselves on udhaviapp/panai.
EOM
