Bengalureans rush to make use of Green App

Bengaluru: In just a fortnight since its Green App was launched to involve ordinary people in greening the city, the BBMP has received 1.87 lakh  requests for saplings of different species from Bengalureans keen to do their bit to add to its fast depleting tree cover.

Losing no time, the civic agency has already begun the process of  shifting  the saplings from its nurseries to parks in the various wards and will begin distributing them from June 10.  “As many as 7,320 people have placed requests for the saplings and 8,000  have downloaded the app, which clearly shows there is massive support for the project,” said BBMP Special Commissioner,  Manoj Rajan.

While people  can ask for 50 saplings at a time, an NGO can order even more. Of  the 15 species grown in the five nurseries at Kempapura, Attur, Sumanahalli, Kudlu and Jnana Bharati, the most popular is Pongamia Pinnata,  which has received the most number (21,993) of requests.  

 Once the requests are received and the saplings transferred to the  parks in the wards for distribution, people will be informed a couple of days in advance through SMS to collect them, the officer explains.

The  planted saplings will be monitored through the BBMP's web portal and those who upload their pictures  at  intervals of three, six and 12 months  will receive a ‘Green Warrior’ certificate as an incentive. “This is a voluntary project which is banking on people  to come forward and help increase the city's green cover,” Rajan said.