BSF plants four lakh saplings in 30 minutes

The BSF on Wednesday planted around four lakh saplings in just 30 minutes all along the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders to mark Independence Day.

"Around 400,000 saplings were planted both in India's eastern and northern frontiers along Bangladesh and Pakistan," Border Security Force spokesman D.S. Bhati told IANS.

He said all BSF units and sector headquarters involved in the mass planting achieved the record in just 30 minutes -- starting from 10 a.m.

"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 ends on December 1.

The BSF figures in the Limca Book of Records by planting over 309,000 saplings in 30 minutes last year. It bettered the 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 along India's borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan," another BSF official said.