CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) aims to plant 12 lakh trees in a year to combat rising temperatures and boost urban greening. Moving toward the target, the civic body has already planted 86,000 saplings across the city since World Environment Day on June 5, said a senior civic official in the GCC.
Additionally, the Corporation is working on growing native tree species across 15 zones at designated locations.
A senior official told DT Next, "To achieve this, GCC is working to grow 50,000 native tree saplings in each zone and to buy tree saplings from forest, horticulture, and private agencies and plant them across the city. When the saplings reach 4 feet or above, they will be planted across the city."
The civic body has identified 17 parks across its 15 zones to grow the 50,000 tree saplings. The MRF Park in Tiruvottiyur, MMDA Park (2nd Main Road) in Manali, Silver Sky Park in Madhavaram, Mint Park in Royapuram, Herbal Park in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Turnbulls Road Park in Teynampet are among the selected locations.
The project also encompasses Natesan Park and Jai Nagar Park in Kodambakkam, MS Swaminathan Wetland Park in Valasaravakkam, Indira Nagar 4th Cross Street Park in Adyar, and the Kamakoti Nagar and Devaraj Nagar 2nd Main Road parks in the Perungudi and Sholinganallur zones.
"In recent years, the GCC aims to plant one lakh tree saplings across the city in the year, but this year, to combat the heat, the local body is working to plant native tree saplings in places like schools, parks, vacant lands and other places in high-rise apartments," said the official. The native trees that we grow in parks are Neermaruthu (Arjun tree), Badam (Indian Almond), Sarakondrai (Golden Shower Tree), Poovarasu (Indian Tulip tree), Pungam (Pongam oil tree) and Koondu Mani (Bead tree), the official noted.
The official also highlighted that 25,647 tree saplings were received from the forest department and were planted across 1,000 locations, including schools, in June and sprinklers were used to water these trees. "Our main aim is to plant more trees and maintain them well to increase the urban greening, which yields good results in the future. And turn the city greener," added the official.