BSF plants four lakh saplings along border

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday planted around four lakh saplings along the border to mark Independence Day.

"Around 400,000 saplings were planted both in India's eastern and northern frontiers along Bangladesh and Pakistan, all its units and sector headquarters within just 30 minutes from 10 a.m. on Wednesday," Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman D.S. Bhati told IANS.

"This plantation programme would also mark India's Independence Day," he added.

The saplings were planted as a part of BSF's year-long golden jubilee celebrations, that would end on December 1, 2015.

The BSF is already in the Limca Book of Record by planting over 309,000 saplings in 30 minutes last year and bettered its own record this year.

Concerned with global warming and climate change, the BSF launched the plantation programme on August 15, 2013 under the banner "My Earth, My Duty".

"Since 2013, more than one and a half crore trees have been planted in the area of BSF's command and also along India's border with Bangladesh and Pakistan," another BSF official said.

"The plantation programme brought together border guards and people of different religions and customs living along the borders," he said.