In Jamshedpur, a tree for every newborn during Shravan month

As part of its green initiatives, the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) has decided to undertake a drive, under which parents of babies born in the "holy month of Shravan" will get a chance to plant a sapling and name it after their child, an official said.

The unique tree-plantation drive will be launched next month during the Shravan mela as "it is possibly the perfect time to motivate people" to take measures for environment conservation, said JNAC Special Officer Sanjay Kumar Pandey.

Shravan is the fifth month in Hindu calendar. Devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva during this time.

"The JNAC will be issuing a birth certificate to the newborn child on this occasion for a meagre sum of Rs 10. Also, an appreciation certificate with details of the date of plantation and the name of the child would be given to the parents," he said.

The committee will be felicitating the parents who come forward to take part in the drive, Pandey said.

"I will visit the houses of the newborn babies to hand out a gift to them. Besides being a symbolic move, the initiative will turn out to be a memorable experience for the families," he asserted.

Pandey said the JNAC has set a target to plant 15,000 saplings over the next month.

"The parents will be asked to take a photograph while planting the sapling and show it to the JNAC authorities. They would also be encouraged to take a written pledge to promote greenery," the special officer said, adding that saplings would be distributed to the parents on request.