HIDCO to increase green cover of New Town

Kolkata: Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) will set up more urban forests in New Town to increase its green cover.

A meeting was held between senior officials of HIDCO and their counterparts in the state Forest department, to make plans to plant saplings during monsoon. HIDCO had planted 65,000 saplings in 2017.

A survey was conducted to find out how many saplings have died and following that, new saplings were planted in those areas. In 2018, thousands of saplings will be planted on Forest week.

The Wasteland Forest Development Corporation has set up a tall tree nursery and tall tree saplings are being sold from there at affordable prices. There is enthusiasm among the residents of different housing complexes to plant tall trees and look after them.

Big trees are being grown on 3 acres of land in Eco Park. Another urban forest comprising only Neem trees will come up on 5 acres of land. HIDCO has decided to plant trees in small parks and similar land, to increase the green cover of New Town.

To water the roadside trees, waste water is being recycled and specially designed vehicles are being deployed to water the plants. There are parks in every block and they are being maintained carefully.

Swapno Bhor, a retreat meant for senior citizens, has a lush green park covering an area of 3 acres. Trees are also being planted throughout New Town.

Eco Park, the biggest urban park in Bengal, which stands on 480 acres of land covered by 112 acres of waterbody, has trees all around. There are flower gardens and gardens for medicinal plants.

It may be mentioned that after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken the initiative to make New Town a green city.

The erstwhile Left Front government, which had constructed New Town, did not make any plan to increase its green cover and the entire area used to look like a barren desert.