The Umar Alisha Rural Development Trust plans to plant 10 lakh trees in cyclone hit Visakhapatnam district to bring back the district’s greenery.

Addressing reporters after launching the project after planting a tree at their Viswa Vignana Spiritual Centre at Bheemjuniatnam in the district here today, Chairman of the Trust Umar Alisha said the trust would plant 10 lakh trees in the district within five years. He said 70 to 80 per cent of trees in Visakhapatnam have been destroyed due to cyclone.

‘Make Vizag Green’ is a project taken up by the Umar Alisha Rural Development Trust to replant lost greenery in Visakhapatnam.

He said it is everybody’s responsibility to protect the environment and plant trees which provide oxygen.

“Every tree will provide oxygen, which is very important for human beings,” he said.

Umar Alisha said that the trust would select trees which could withstand even wind speeds of 200 kilometres per hour during natural calamities like cyclones.

The project plans to use information technology, crowdsourcing, geocoding and social media to encourage people to participate.

He said the trust would plant 200 trees in various places in Bheemunipatnam today and also plant 1,100 trees in various places as well as both sides of the national highway.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Visakhapatnam – November 02nd, 2014