Visakhapatnam: The forest department including Vizag zoo conducted awareness programmes to mark International Day of Forests. The theme of the day this year was “Forests and Sustainable Cities – Let’s make our cities greener, healthier, happier places to live.’ Celebrating the day with the visitors, Vizag zoo curator B. Vijaya Kumar spoke about the importance to protect forest catchments that get water to reservoirs, a source for the drinking water needs of the people living in cities.
To celebrate and make people aware of the importance of forests, the Vizag zoo gave free entry to 412 children of below 12 years of age on Wednesday.
Y. Appala Reddy, vice-president of India Youth For Society (IYFS) suggested the district administration and forest authorities some extra measures need to be taken up in tree census, geo-tagging, mangrove plantation and urban Model Plantations and public awareness on WALTA, Act of AP, 2002. Mr Reddy said, “Survival rate and daily care of the trees have gone up due to the drives such as tree census and geo-tagging taken-up by the government and private agencies. However, the plantation figures given by private companies should be verified by the concerned government authority to check veracity of their claims.”
