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BENGALURU: With early monsoon and a friendly environment for plantation drive, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Forest Division has begun native species plantation drive at
lakes and parks in Bengaluru from Monday onwards. The officials have begun to plant saplings of fig, neem, rudraksha and other species. Around 2,000 saplings were planted at Arekere Lake in
Bommanahalli and 5,000 each in the Bellandur and Varthur Lake buffer zones. According to BLG Swamy, Deputy Conservator Of Forest, BBMP, one lakh saplings will be planted and contractors
engaged will be asked to take care of these for three years. He said that work orders have been issued to around 12 agencies and the drive to plant 50,000 saplings in phase one has begun. A
few more work orders are pending and once that is done, the drive will go into full swing. “At some places, 1,500 saplings and in a few places, 2,000 to 3,500 saplings will be planted.
“Under the leadership of Special Commissioner Preeti Gehlot, we have already planted saplings at Arekere Lake. The reason for taking up the drive during rains is to ensure high survival
rate,” said Swamy. He added that, this year, the drive will be in places like parks, lake buffer zones and large industrial areas.