16 February 2021 12:05 am
The “Kekulu Thuru Udanaya” Children’s Tree Planting National Programme was inaugurated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday at the Atabage Wimaladharma National School premises in Gampola, a statement from the President’s Media Division said.
The statement said the number of children entering Grade One in schools every year was close to three hundred and fifty thousand. The objective of this programme was to groom them to be eco-friendly citizens and to ensure a secure ecosystem for the future generations in line with the Sustainable Environmental Policy introduced by the National Policy Framework, “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour”.
The President as well as the Ministers and MPs took part in the programme, planting saplings together with the children.
State Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa said that the central theme of that concept was to create a sound mentality by encouraging the students, who were in an examination- mindset, to engage in cultivation.
“The Ministries of Agriculture and Education will jointly implement the tree- planting scheme. The “Kekulu Thuru Udanaya” programme, which commenced today will continue year after year. The government aims to add 1.7 million tress including jack-fruit, breadfruit, coconut and mango to the environment within next five years under the supervision of children. Children living in urban areas will be provided with small plants that are suitable for their environment while children who are living in flats will be provided with potted plants,” it is said.
The distribution of plants is done by the State Ministry of Agriculture and it is also planned to prepare an annual report on the child and the plant through Agricultural Research Officers of the Department of Agrarian Services.