Mangaluru: Every entry point to Mangaluru city will be transformed. All three approaches to the city from Kerala, Bengaluru, and Udupi sides will look greener. Thanks to the initiative taken by the National Environmental Conservation Federation (NECF), the coastal city will turn its highways more pleasurable to drive and also adds safety in night driving. The ‘Universal Knowledge and Spiritual Trust’ has joined with NECF in this endeavour.
“The work towards this has already begun, we have already planted trees that are flower bearing and those that grow thick canopies. We have chosen only those species that are endemic and local and grow to their full girth in the natural coastal environment. The first stretch we tackled is the stretch between Fisheries College to Nethravati Bridge in Yekkur, in the outskirts of Mangaluru city on National Highway 66”. We have found out through intensive research that growing big trees with large canopies on the medians of the highway was not suitable due to various reasons, which is why we have planted a few selected varieties like Holay Dasavala, Shivani, and Kakke, all of them give flowers, and medium level canopies not more than 7 feet and grow straight up” said convenor of the NECF Shashidhar Shetty.
The NECF has a motivated band of 35-40 volunteers all wearing green T-Shirts and on every Sunday who take up planting these trees on the median “On a typical day we could plant over 400 saplings,” Shetty told.
These varieties of saplings have been chosen for the safety they provide to motorists driving at night. The oncoming vehicles, even it is on the other side of the medians, will not hit the eyes of the vehicles going on the opposite side. “We have been permitted by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).”
NHAI authorities have expressed gratitude for the careful way the NECF handles the greening of the medians and are in full agreement with the plan of the NECF. “We will start planting of saplings on the stretch between Mukka and Surathkal next Sunday.”
NECF has been carrying out a campaign against chopping trees inside Mangaluru city and also in the green belts around the city in general and the western ghats.