Special Correspondent
Panaji
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said that Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav will visit Goa on September 5 to review the Green NH-66 initiative and assess the progress of tree plantation activities undertaken under the ‘90-Days Green Goa, Clean Goa’ campaign.
Earlier, the Chief Minister virtually interacted with Swayampurna Mitras, nodal officers, panchayat representatives and grassroots functionaries as regards the particular campaign inspired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative.
Emphasising on the collective responsibility of making Goa greener and cleaner through mass participation, with a target of planting nearly 10 lakh trees across the state from June 5 to September 5, Sawant highlighted the Green NH66 Mission, which aims to transform the Patradevi to Canacona stretch into a green corridor through large-scale plantation drives.
Appealing to the citizens to strengthen cleanliness awareness and support the vision of a clean, green and environmentally conscious Goa, Sawant urged people to actively cooperate and participate in making Goa clean and green by planting trees along roadsides.
During his live interaction, the Chief Minister announced that free saplings would be provided to
the public through the
forest and agriculture departments.
He said that enhanced greenery would improve the state’s beauty and attract more tourists, further adding that panchayats can play a major role in driving and supporting such initiatives at the grassroots level.
Sawant also urged the citizens not to set up roadside stalls along highways, stating that such stalls can lead to accidents and pose risks to motorists. He said that avoiding encroachments along highways will help improve road safety and prevent loss of lives.
Incidentally, the government will undertake a massive plantation drive in Panaji, wherein the same species of trees would be planted that once adorned the streets of the capital city.
This is to ensure that future generations inherit the city’s green cover and natural beauty.
