I-Day: 86k saplings to be planted in Noida

Noida: As part of the Uttar Pradesh government's afforestation drive and to mark India's seventy second Independence Day, the Noida Authority will plant over 86,000 saplings across the city on August 15, officials said on Friday. The saplings will be planted at 37 locations including parks, on the side of roads and under metro rail corridors, said Noida Authority General Manager Rajeev Tyagi. The drive will be carried out in different sectors, and along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

As many as 86,750 saplings will be planted, the varieties include neem, pilkhan, jamun, arjun, hibiscus, tikoma , champa, the GM said, adding that dwarf plant species and indoor varieties like erica palm will be planted under the metro corridors and elevated roads.

Tyagi said the authority wants to rope in more people and is in touch with educational institutes, resident welfare associations (RWAs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industrial houses to ensure mass public participation. "We are getting a very positive response from everyone. We need local support, after all it is the people for whom we are working. They are the owners of the city and equal partners in every initiative," he said.

Tyagi said the earth works have already been completed. Two-foot deep ditches have been dug and the soil bed has been prepared with manure. "Only the plantation work remains, which would be done on I-Day," he added.