NGO plants 19 lakh trees in Tirupur in nine years

COIMBATORE: Vanathukkul Tirupur, an urban forestation initiative launched by the NGO Vetry Trust, plans to plant two lakh more saplings in this year. Over the past nine years, the NGO has planted 19 lakh trees in the district in tribute to late President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Unlike other tree-planting initiatives, Vanathukkul Tirupur documents every sapling, tracks its growth, and ensures protection until the trees are fully established.The project focuses on planting native trees on both private farmlands and public spaces to increase the green cover and attract birds.
“We have already planted one lakh trees out of our target of three lakh this year. We will complete the planting of an additional two lakh trees by the end of this year. We are planting 70 varieties of trees, 90% of which have timber value, while 10% are fruit-bearing trees meant for birds," said managing trustee of Vetry NGO TR Sivaram.
The saplings are planted in protected areas with drip irrigation systems. Prior to planting, soil and water tests are conducted. Once planted, the saplings are monitored for four years. Regular pruning and water supply, delivered through drip irrigation three times a week, are ensured.
"Due to continuous monitoring, the survival rate of the saplings exceeds 80%. For this urban forestation initiative, we spend Rs 1.50 crore to Rs 2 crore annually, with funding from private companies' CSR contributions. Recently, Federal Bank sponsored Rs 74 lakh to plant one lakh trees," Sivaram added.