BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): The 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign has boosted the demand for tree saplings by almost 50% in the city. Besides government departments and agencies, private institutions and individuals are buying saplings of trees for planting them at their homes and public places in a big way. Private and government nurseries say that people are going for all kinds of trees including fruit-bearing, shady and ornamental.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the people to plant one tree in the name of their mother under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. He reiterated his appeal in the first post-general election episode of his Mann Ki Baat.
Assistant conservator of forests (Social Forestry), Bhopal Circle, Rahul Raghuvanshi has told the Free Press that in comparison to last year, the sales are up almost 50% after the announcement of the drive. According to him, the Forest departmentís 18 nurseries in Bhopal district have already supplied some 12 lakh plants. 'Our own department has taken nine lakh whereas the Bhopal Municipal Corporation has bought 1.2 lakh saplings,' the official said.
Raghuvanshi said that they have almost exhausted their stocks. 'I have never seen such a craze for buying plants,' he said, adding that fruit-bearing varieties, Peepal, Banayan, Karanja, Neem and Amla are more in demand.
'While private schools, colleges, industries, housing societies and government departments are procuring plants, it is the number of individual buyers that has seen a big jump,' Raghuvanshi adds.
Renu Baranwal, who owns the Swapnil Nursery on Kolar Road said the sales are up almost 30% over the last one week. 'The government urges people to plant trees during the rainy season every year. But it is the emotional connect of 'Ek Ped' that has turned a government campaign into a peopleís campaign,' said Baranwal..
Those who don't have enough space in their homes, are planting trees in parks, temples and on premises of schools and community halls, she said, adding that mango, ashok and neem plants are witnessing brisk sales.
In-charge of Vanita nursery on Link Road Number 1, Shripad Shukla says that they have sold around 500 plants over the past one week. ''Bougainvillaea, Neem, Peepal, Gulmohar, Sheesham and Karhal are the preferred species,' he said.
Environmentalist Sunil Dubey 'Vriksha Mitra' suggests
* Go for trees which are not eaten by cattle
* Choose a place which is surrounded by a boundary wall
* If that is not possible, place a tree guard around the plant
* Give first preference to fruit-bearing trees, followed by shady varieties
* You can plant lemon, pomegranate and chiku tree saplings in big pots.
