Nagercoil Actively Following up a Green Fund Project


　OISCA Nagercoil Chapter, Tamil Nadu, joined in a massive tree planting program organized by a group of NGOs working in Tamil Nadu, India. The group of NGOs planted a total of about 7,000,000 saplings within a day on 10 October 2006 all over Tamil Nadu. In this program, OISCA Nagercoil Chapter, headed by Dr. R. S. Lal Mohan, mobilized its members along with about 200 students of Love Green Clubs from various schools in South India and planted about 13,000 trees on the land that belonged to Ayyappas College, Chungankadi Hill.

　This tree planting site of Ayyappas College was adjoining the site of a five year project that OISCA South India initiated with the support of the Green Fund, Japan, and completed in March 2002. After the completion of the five year project, members of OISCA Nagercoil organized their tree planting days to replace withered trees with new plants, and continued expanding planted areas gradually and making efforts to create a richer forest. The trees planted earlier have grown as tall as about 10 meters.

　D. P. P. Nayar, who took part in the massive tree planting day on behalf of the OISCA South India Council, was impressed by the growing forest the OISCA members jointly created. He said, “It was a mini CFP forest and had a great look. We are proud of it.” OISCA Nagercoil is going to start up a planting program on the other side of Chungankadi Hill with local people soon.