Follow Us
Sumeer Singh
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, July 15
In a bid to enhance green cover and add to aesthetics of his village, a retired Army man, Balveer Singh (55), along with a group of youngsters, started a plantation drive at Mehma Sarja village recently. Till now, they have planted more than 1,000 trees of different varieties.
Apart from a number of fruit and medicinal plants, trees such as peepal, nim, royal poinciana (gulmohar) and ashoka tree, among others, have been grown since the drive was started on July 9.
Balveer Singh has got help in the form of around 35 youngsters and a few members from the Noujwan Sabha Club to carry out a plantation drive. Apart from public places, including the bus stand and near residential areas, trees were grown at different government schools in the village.
Balveer Singh, who is working under the state government’s Guardian of Governance initiative, said, “A large number of trees were uprooted when the road was built in our village. The axing of trees on a large scale not only harmed the environment but also took away the beauty of our village. I wanted to revive greenery, so I took it upon myself to grow at least 3,000 plants and trees. We procured plants from nurseries and the Forest Department. To provide protection to planted saplings, we are making tree guards as well.”
He added, “The plantation drive will continue for another one week. Apart from restoring the old glory of our village, these trees and plants, once fully grown, will also provide fruits and herbs with medicinal properties and provide shadow to residents of the village.”
3
6