Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 6

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, in association with the Indian Army, started a plantation drive along the Budha Nullah here on Monday.The drive was inaugurated by Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu and councillor Mamta Ashu from near Haibowal Pully. During the drive, more than 100 saplings were planted along the Budha Nullah.Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said the Ludhiana MC was committed to make the city clean and green. He said the MC had not only been planting saplings, but had also roped in several NGOs to make sure that the saplings were taken care of and bloomed into fully-grown trees.He thanked the Indian Army for supporting the MC in this drive. He said all pits for the plantation of saplings had been dug by the Indian Army personnel.Mamta Ashu, councillor from ward 67, said the Punjab Government had launched an initiative in the form of ‘i-Hariyali’ App as part of the strategy formulated under the Tandarust Punjab Mission to ensure clean, green, healthy and robust Punjab.She said the main characteristic of the application is that any resident of the state could book a sapling of his/her choice with the click of a button. She said the application is available for both android and IOS-based mobile phones and is free of cost. The rationale behind this application was to inspire people to plant maximum saplings during the monsoon season so as to save the environment from pollution, she added.