Date | Dec 09, 2016:
S. Sridhar, Executive Director, CSR, planting a tree sapling to commemorate World Soil Day 2016. — | Photo Credit: Handout_E_Mail
NLC India Limited undertook mass planting of saplings to drive home the maxim that a healthy life is not possible without healthy soil during the recent observance of World Soil Day. Employees also took a pledge to protect this important yet ignored resource.
The NLC was observing World Soil Day for the first time and modelled the programmes on the celebration of occasions such as World Environment Day, World Forestry Day and World Earth Day.
The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) had, in 2002, framed a resolution to celebrate December 5 as World Soil Day, to emphasise the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being.
The mass sapling planting drive was aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of soil loss, and the significance of preserving soil as a resource which was not just a vital part of the natural environment but the source of food, and hence, of life itself.
The theme of the observance was “Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life”.
Presiding over the launch of the programme, Subir Das, Director (Mines) administered the pledge in English, to the gathering of staff. V. Renganathan, Executive Director (SME and Conveyors) read out the pledge in Tamil and K. Mohan Reddy, Chief General Manager (ISO/Mines) administered the pledge in Hindi.
Mr. Das later planted a tree sapling and inaugurated a mass tree plantation campaign at Surface Bench dump slope (S6 area), where around 800 saplings of various fruit bearing trees including mango, naaval (Syzygium cumin), guava (Psidium guajava) , amala (phyllanthus) and kodukkapuli (Pithecellobium dulce).
In addition to this, 100 saplings of avenue trees such as gulmohar, peltophorum and cassia fistula were also planted. The trees will come up in an area of 2.5 hectares.
At a similar function hosted by the Environment and Horticulture units of NLC India, S. Sridhar, executive director, CSR, launched the mass tree plantation drive by planting a sapling in the presence of M. Kartikeyan general manager (TA).
The NLC is pursuing a plan to grow around 5,000 saplings of varieties such as peltophorum, gulmohar and red sandalwood at Vadakkmelur near Air Strip and the ‘B’ Block Resettlement Centre, near Arch Gate on an area of about 30 acres .
The greening is also happening along the double roads from the court at Block-20 to Thermal –II Expansion an area of 31.13 acres.
Senior officials, representatives of trade unions and welfare associations and a large number of employees participated in the mass tree plantation.
(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)