Next time you drive to Puducherry on East Coast Road, you will see coconut palm saplings on the sides.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun work to plant around 22,500 saplings along the road as part of the first phase of the road-widening project. “As it is a coastal road, we have decided to plant coconut palm saplings in large numbers as they have better chance of survival and they will suit the landscape,” said a source in the NHAI.
“These saplings are around three feet tall. The variety that has been chosen is a tall one. We are planting the saplings in three rows. The outer most row will have coconut palm trees. The row right next to the road will have native varieties such as neem and punga.” Already, 600 saplings have been planted and work was under way to plant the rest, said an official.
