Modi to start plantation drive on World Environment Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a tree plantation campaign by planting a sapling at his official residence 7, Race Course Road on World Environment Day on Friday, officials said.

Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said cricketer Virat Kohli and wrestler Sushil Kumar will take part in a function to plant saplings at Paryavaran Bhavan.

The ministry will celebrate the occasion by planting saplings across the country.

On the evening of June 5, cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, along with Javadekar and Maharashtra Minister for Primary, Higher and Technical and Medical Education and Culture Vinod Tawde will plant saplings in Mumbai at Joggers Park on Carter Road.

Before leaving for its Bangladesh tour, the Indian cricket team will participate in a plantation drive in Kolkata on June 6.

"Boxers Mary Kom and Sarita Devi, billiards player Geet Sethi and hockey player Viren Rasquinha have also pledged their support to the campaign and will also plant saplings," Javadekar said.

He said that to achieve the goal of more greenery, a new pilot project on urban forestry will be launched in Pune on June 6.

"Seventy acres of forest land in Pune is being compounded and about 4,000 trees will be planted on it. This project will be run through public participation in the form of a memorial garden. People will pay Rs.2,000 per tree and that tree will be named after their loved ones."