Sowing seeds for a greener city

BANGALORE: Bangalore is slowly losing its green cover. The government is playing their part to restore the green blanket. So are some others. Keeping in view the environment concerns that are growing in Bangalore, Lions Club International 324D1 has identified 500 acres of land in Tippagondanahalli on the outskirts of Bangalore to plant three lakh saplings over the next three months.Speaking at the function organised by Lions Club its new district governor, Vijayakumara Shetty said that due to the hapazardous planning of the city we are slowly losing the green cover. “To save Bangaloreons and restore the past pride of the ‘Garden City’ we are keen on taking up environment causes. We have identified 500 acres of land in Tippagondanahalli. There, we will be planting three lakh saplings. It should take us about three months to achieve that,” he said. Besides this, they are also donating a kidney dialysis instrument worth `6.5 lakhs to Hemalatha Hospital based in Neelasandra, apart from donating five electric coffin boxes worth `4.5 lakh to Neelasandra Welfare Association. Vijayakumar Shetty also added that on August 27, Lions International president Dr Win Kum Tam will be in Bangalore to oversee similar tree sapling drives. This will be his first visit to India since taking over as Lions International President in July 2011. For the first time, more than 91 governing body members of Lions Club across Bangalore City and Mysore City will come forward to take part in this drive. Speaking on the occasion guest of honour N A Harris said, “World over there are serious concerns on depleting forest wealth. As law abiding citizens we need to come forward in taking such initiatives of tree plantation by keeping our future generation conscious about environment issues and its consequences.” He congratulated Lions Club of having come forward to take the onus in creating mass awareness campaign for the well-being of the society and trying to restore Bangalore’s lost pride of  being the ‘Garden City’, besides wishing them in their future endeavours.The event was also attended by C H Vijaya Shankar, former minister for forest, Govt of Karnataka, Ashok Mehta, past international president, Deviprasad, 1st vice district governor, T J Ramamurthy, 2nd vice district president, Kiran Prabhu, secretary among others.