February 2: Almost one crore trees will be planted along the Pune-Mumbai Expressway to make up for the loss of trees felled for the project, said Public Works Minister Nitin Gadkari, adding that almost Rs 50 crore were also being spent to plant trees under the Bandra-Worli expressway project. Gadkari was speaking at the launch of the Priyadarshini Academy Forum for Protection of Environment at the Y B Chavan Centre today.The forum, under the chairpersonship of Y V Chandrachud, former Chief Justice of India, seeks to implement programmes for improving the environment, pressuring the government for stricter legislations and coordinating between various Non-Governmental Organisations, corporate sector and concerned citizens working towards the cause.
Noted environmentalist Rashmi Mayur said that out of the 16.5 million in the city, 68 per cent were living on the edge of survival. Eighty three per cent of the industries were flouting existing rules, he said asking the government to make the right toinformation about environment more accessible to the public.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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