25 lakh saplings for �Ente Maram\'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: �Ente Maram 2010, under which 25 lakh saplings are to be planted, will be launched at the Sree Narayana Gurukulam Higher Secondary School here on Tuesday.

Saplings of teak, anjili, plavu, cashew, badam, asokam, tamarind, kudampuli, neem, venga, chempakam, koovalam and mango will be distributed to students. Minister for Education and Culture M.A. Baby will inaugurate the function. Minister for Forests Benoy Viswom will distribute seedlings to students. �Ente Maram (my tree) is a joint programme of Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department and Education Department involving students from Class 5 to 9. The programme was first implemented on June 5, World Environment Day, in 2007. Students were given a seedling each which they were to plant and nurture in their compound or on public land. Authorities say that some 25 lakh seedlings were planted in 2007 and that 80 per cent of them are surviving. The programme continued in 2008 and 2009. About 5 lakh seedlings were planted each year, of which 75 per cent are surviving.