Discussions and debates on forests and environment should not be a knee-jerk reaction to natural calamities, said Shashi Tharoor, MP. Afforestation has to be taken up urgently as a disaster mitigation strategy, he added.
Planting a tree adds to the happiness of the children and they are creating new friends by doing so, he pointed out while inaugurating the afforestation programme at Loyola School here.
The Tree-planting Week, ‘Vanamahotsavam’ was celebrated on Friday with a variety of functions including the inauguration of a miniature forest, ‘Vidyavanam’, Forestry Club, and greening of the campus.
Director-Principal Fr. Salvin Augustine presided over the function. Kadakampally Surendran, MLA, initiated the campus greening programme by distributing saplings to the students and ICSE school Principal Fr. Roy Alex inaugurated the school Forestry Club.
Loyola Rector Fr. Sunny Kunnappallil handed over the consent letter for afforestation to the Assistant Conservator of Forests, Saju S. Nair. The project is being implemented with the support of the Forest department and Loyola Old Boys Association.
