Mangaluru: Vikas Group of institutions, Lion’s Club, Yuvagreen India Organization and Infant Jesus Joyland School, Bolar jointly organized a tree plantation programme in the premises of Infant Jesus Joyland School on Saturday December 1.

This was inaugurated by Krishna J Palemar, former Minister, Karnataka and Chairman, Vikas Group of Institutions.

The programme aims at instilling the idea of conserving trees and saving the ecosystem. With the objective of inculcating such values, saplings were planted by the students.

In his inaugural address, Krishna J Palemar recalled that in the olden days we regarded trees as divine and protected them, but nowadays trees are felled and forests destroyed.

He further said that during his tenure as minister for Ecology and Environment, he had introduced many initiatives to conserve nature. He appreciated the new initiative that if one student plants a tree class VIII and takes care of it till class X, he/she will get bonus marks in the SSLC exam. He urged the young students to plant more trees, and thus to save Mangaluru from air pollution. He also hoped to conduct such valuable programmes in future in the schools across Mangaluru.

He added that Vikas Group of Institutions will monitor the saplings they plant. The best garden will be awarded a prize on the occasion of the next Vanamahotsava celebration. All those who have planted saplings will get a cap and a farmcil pencil which can be planted in the soil after use. It will grow into a plant and a certificate will be awarded.

At Vikas, he said, they have a digital garden with plants that have a QR code that helps interested students to access details about the plants. He mentioned that seed ball planting has been done by using drones in the Western Ghats. Organic farming is now part of the syllabus for students. These days new technology is used in Uttar Pradesh to save trees; there is Geo-tagging, where, after planting, a satellite monitors the location as well as the growth of the tree. The system can be followed in our area too, he hoped.

Suraj Kumar Kallya, Trustee, Vikas Group of Institutions, Dr. Ananth Prabhu G., Director, Vikas Edu Solutions, Dr. Manjula Rao, Dean, Vikas Group of Institutions, Parthasarathi Palemar, Coordinator, Vikas Group of Institutions,. Aishwarya Rao, Commerce in-charge, Vikas PU College, Anil Rao, Francis Anna Pinto, Head Master, Infant Jesus Joyland School, Bolar, Abdul Kasim, PTA President, Kavitha Jalendra, Headmistress, and Vinay Suvarna, representative of Yuvagreen Organization were present on the occasion.

Ajay Karkera, Dep. of Chemistry, Vikas PU College, compered the programme.