The city’s green cover has been has been severely damaged due to cyclone Amphan on May 20, when thousands of trees – both big and small – were uprooted from across the city.
Now, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation authorities have come up with a blueprint to plant over 50,000 trees across the city to make up for the losses. The areas will be marked so that they are not encroached by hawkers, clubs or any government agencies.
According to Firhad Hakim, the administrator of KMC, more than 15,000 trees were lost to the cyclone in Kolkata that lashed at a speed of 130 km/hr, leaving marks of devastation everywhere. A meeting was held between state forest minister Rajib Banerjee, senior forest officials and urban development minister Hakim in this regard.
The state government has already formed an expert committee to monitor the plantation process.
Firhad Hakim said that experts are being consulted to choose the right trees for the city before the plantation drive kicks off. Trees with stronger and deeper roots will be chosen which can withstand storms in the future. About 50,000 trees are needed to breathe new life into the city in order to make up for the enormous losses, officials said.
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