
‘Amara' green drive starts on World Environment Day
World Environment Day
on Thursday. Deputy commissioner and Zilla Panchayat CEO Anandh K inaugurated the programme by planting a tree in the DC office premises.
Anandh said that under the leadership of Prof Smitha Hegde, environmental enthusiasts organised a campaign named 'Amara', where various organisations in the district identified suitable areas for planting and nurturing trees. He noted that with the onset of the rainy season, the climate is ideal for planting trees. He noted that the increasing exploitation of nature is damaging the environment and affecting daily lives.
Hence, there is a need to increase the greenery on Earth, he said.
Deputy conservator of forests Anthony S Mariyappa said that in Dakshina Kannada forest area, 5 lakh trees are planted annually. This year, the forest department is distributing 1 lakh saplings through various organisations for planting in different locations. He highlighted that every year, millions of trees are cut down for various development projects.
In response, the forest department undertakes tree planting activities.
For the development of the road between Mangaluru and Bengaluru, about 1,39,000 trees were cut down over an area of approximately 100 acres. He emphasised that while development is important, it is our responsibility to maintain ecological balance by planting and nurturing trees.
Prof Smitha Hegde, director of research at CFAL and a key figure in the 'Amara' campaign, said that under the 'Amara' initiative, the goal is to plant 10,000 trees in the Dakshina Kannada by August this year.
With the cooperation of various organisations, 4,500 locations have already been identified. Trees will be planted along the road from Baliga Stores in the city to the airport road, while 350 trees will be planted in the DC office premises.
The focus is on planting fruit trees like jackfruit, mango, and breadfruit that grow locally, she said.
The event was attended by additional deputy commissioner Santhosh Kumar G, Mangaluru City Corporation commissioner Ravichandra Nayak, deputy director of the animal husbandry department Dr Arun Kumar Shetty, environmental enthusiast Jeeth Milan Roche, and key members of various environmental organisations.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
VK drawing competition raises environmental awareness among kids
Mangaluru: The Vijay Karnataka Environment Drawing Competition not only provides information and awareness to participating children, but also to their parents and those around them. The effort by a media outlet like 'Vijay Karnataka' (VK), a sister concern publication of TOI, to work towards environmental conservation is commendable, said H Lakshmi Kantha, environmental officer at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Mangaluru regional office. Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony for the district-level drawing competition organised by VK and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Mangaluru, on the occasion of World Environment Day celebrations on Thursday, he emphasised that while environmental conservation might seem trivial, it has gained significant importance. Children expressed whatever came to their minds through art. Along with children, it is imperative for adults to also be aware of environmental conservation, he said. Manju Rajanna, deputy environmental officer at the KSPCB, Mangaluru, mentioned that students should plant and nurture a tree on their birthdays for the benefit of the environment. Planting many trees over a lifetime is a significant contribution to the environment, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Undo Maheshwari Singh, deputy environmental officer, stated that VK has raised awareness about the environment, reaching millions with the message of environmental conservation, which is commendable. Parents of participants also spoke on the occasion. It is gratifying that VK has instilled environmental awareness not only in children, but also in adults through such competitions, said parent Kavitha from Panja. Winner First Prize: NilIshka K (10th grade) Vivekananda English Medium School, Puttur, Ajith S Kamath (9th grade), Sri Vyasamaharsi Vidyapeetha, Kilpadi, Mulki, Ashni Rajesh Jogi (8th grade) Sri Vani School, Pavanje, Mangaluru, Sanvi NS (7th grade) Government Model Higher Primary School, Panja, Aaradhya (6th grade) Holy Family English Medium School, Surathkal. Second Prize: Keerthan (10th grade), Ankur English Medium, Kulai, Deepti D (9th grade) St Rita English Medium School, Jeppu, Y Hansika (8th grade) Canara School, Urva, Mangaluru, Shashwat VA (7th grade), Saraswati English Medium School, Kadaba, Sushanth J Shettigar (6th grade) St Lawrence English Medium School, Bondel, Mangaluru. Third Prize: Mohal Santosh Devadiga (10th grade) Sri Vyasamaharsi Vidyapeetha, Kilpadi, Mulki, Sonali KS (9th grade), Ladyhill Victoria High School, Bhavesh V Sawant (8th grade), Bharathi English Medium School, Kulai, Kushith Mallar (7th grade) Kumaraswamy Vidyalaya, Subrahmanya, Anvitha Shetty (6th grade) St Anne's English Medium School, Panja, Kadaba.

The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Panchayat Progress Index 2.0: GPs in Mandya told to achieve sustainable development goals
Mandya Zilla Panchayat CEO K.R. Nandini called upon elected representatives and officials of gram panchayats in the district to take a pledge to achieve sustainable development for the overall development, efficiency and progress of the gram panchayats. Speaking after inaugurating the Panchayat Progress Index 2.0 training workshop held at the Zilla Panchayat in Mandya on July 24, she said that gram panchayats should work towards becoming 'poverty-free', healthy, 'women-friendly', 'child-friendly', socially secure, and well-equipped with basic facilities by coordinating with various departments like agriculture, horticulture, health, and education. A gram panchayat is considered a model for others if it achieves the targets set in all nine areas under the Panchayat Progress Index. Every GP has to make efforts to achieve all nine parameters for setting an example to others, she suggested. The ZP CEO instructed all Panchayat Development Officers to seek the cooperation and support of all elected representatives in their jurisdiction, other departments, and the people towards achieving the goals. The workshop was organised to provide information on data entry for the Panchayat Progress Index 2.0. Assistant Director (Panchayat Raj) of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, and Jalendra Shetty, President of 14th Kadur Gram Panchayat had been invited to share their experience from their respective districts on achieving the goals. ZP Chief Planning Officer Dhanush, Deputy Secretary (Administration) Dhanaraj, Chief Accounts Officer Srinivas Nayak, President of the Federation of Gram Panchayat Elected Representatives Pradeep, Vice-President Suvarnavati, and members, district-level officers of various departments, executive officers of all taluk panchayats, Assistant Directors, PDOs and DEOs of selected gram panchayats were present.


The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
ZP officer inspects Jal Jeevan Mission works in Yadgir
Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat Lavish Ordia visited several villages and inspected the works taken up under Jal Jeevan Mission and Jaladhare projects in the district recently. Following complaints of low-quality works, Mr. Ordia visited Dyamanal, Rajwal, Kadadarahal, Kamanatagi and Wadavat villages in Shorapur and Gurmitkal taluks. He directed the officers to replace damaged pipelines with new ones and asked them to ensure that potable water is supplied. Mr. Ordia suggested the officers maintain cleanliness in villages and also create awareness among people on this to prevent epidemics due to lack of cleanliness. Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Basanna Nayak, Assistant Executive Engineer of Rural Drinking Water Supply Department Hanumantharayagouda Patil and others were present.