TIRUCHY: The Tiruchy City Corporation has actively resumed its green cover drive, aiming to plant three lakh saplings across Tiruchy city to augment the beautification of the city and to counter heat stress. The Corporation Commissioner on Saturday confirmed that 45 per cent of the saplings have already been planted.

In order to sustain the urban greenery, the Tiruchy Corporation launched the initiative to plant 3 lakh saplings and develop Miyawaki forests in several wards, for which the civic administration developed nurseries in every zone.

Apart from the corporation staff, the Corporation also deployed volunteers in the plantation drive. As part of the drive, saplings of shady and flowering trees like Neem, Poovarasu (Pacific rosewood), Veppalai (ivory wood), Gulmohar (Royal Poinciana), Neermarudu, Vanni (Jammi tree) and Sarakondrai (Golden Shower tree) have been nurtured in the nurseries and distributed for planting.

On Saturday, the Corporation Commissioner N Ponmani inspected the nursery garden at Ambedkar Nagar, where more than one lakh saplings are being maintained. After inspection, the Commissioner said, "The 3 lakh tree plantation drive had already commenced, and 45 per cent of the plantation has been completed already. The remaining saplings would be planted in certain intervals." “This initiative by the civic administration has been made to beautify the city and to stabilise the temperature by augmenting green cover in the city," the commissioner noted.

She also said that the saplings would be planted in the corporation-owned public parks, near the overhead tanks, platforms and river banks. “Besides this, Miyawaki forests have also been developed in several parts of the city," Ponmani added.