Led by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), the district successfully planted the seeds across 993 locations in 429 village panchayats.
The Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu has carved a name for itself in the record books and people’s minds with the successful implementation of a green initiative of massive proportions. Led by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), the district has planted as many as 17,71,840 Palmyra seeds across 993 locations in 429 village panchayats. The achievement coincided with the celebration of 153rd Gandhi Jayanthi. The whole initiative was completed in 12 hours.
The planting of the seeds assumes significance because Palmyra is considered the state tree and a harmonious species in Tamil Nadu. The massive seed planting effort is a step forward in the conservation of the species as the number of Palmyra trees has been on the decline, of late.
CM Stalin’s visionary program, says District Collector
According to J.U. Chandrakala, District Collector, Ramanathapuram, “Chief Minister Sri M.K. Stalin’s visionary “Palmyra Protection Programme” has guided the State Government to plant Palmyra seeds across Tamil Nadu to protect the State tree and propagate it in a big way across the State as the tree has been facing extinction due to rapid felling. To fulfill the mission and vision of protecting and expediting a revolution of planting the Palmyra trees, we in Ramanathapuram District, with the support of 1,45,245 MGNREGS workers, have planted 17,71,840 Palmyra palm seeds in 12 hours.”
K J Praveen Kumar, Additional Collector (DRDA), added that the Palmyra trees, which are sturdy and strong, can withstand heavy winds and cyclones. Further, the fibrous roots have the capability to go deep into the soil and bind the soil well, thereby preventing soil erosion. After micro-level planning, rigorous meetings, training, and workshops were conducted for the benefit of all stakeholders between July 15th, 2021 to September 30th, 2021, and the project was successfully implemented on October 1, 2021.