"Target: 114 million trees in 10 years "

Sounds of Isha provided the inspiration for the launch of a massive greening project at a houseful Kamarajar Arangam on Friday.

Project Green Hands' target is the planting of 114 million trees through various mass initiatives in the next 10 years, an ambitious attempt to cover 33 per cent of Tamil Nadu with greenery.

Sounds of Isha, with a core band of members of the Isha Foundation of Coimbatore, offered a musical presentation from their third album `White Mountain.' The programme by Andrew Mark Adams on the guitar, Swami Vibhu, the lead vocalist, V. Sekar on the flute, Saran Muthusamy on the tabla, Jayashree Arvind on the veena and T.V. Anand on the guitar and the keyboard was a fund-raiser for `Project Green Hands,' which will be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, by planting a sapling on October 15.

Isha Foundation's founder Guru Jaggi Vasudev, giving a grim picture of the growing `desertification' of Tamil Nadu said, "Planting trees is not enough. India must cut down on the carbon exhausts and chemical pollution," he said adding that this was going to be even more difficult with the Indian industry and economy having just found its seat and all set to gallop in the next 25 years. Concrete ecological steps were needed now, he added. Project Green Hands also looks to set a Guinness Book of records for the maximum number of trees planted on one day on October 15. But "if somebody comes forward to break that record the next day, we will be only too happy," Guru Jaggi Vasudev said. N. Murali, Managing Director of The Hindu , said the project was a major step in halting environmental degradation. "... To reverse the desertification of Tamil Nadu, this will be a large movement under the inspirational leadership of Sadhguru," he said.

Noting that it was a happy augury that the Chief Minister would plant the first sapling, he said each person who plants three saplings on that day would be committed to nurturing them for two years. "I appeal to all responsible sections of society to see that the green cover of Tamil Nadu and consciousness is aroused to prevent environmental degradation," he said. M. Murali, Proprietor of Sri Krishna Sweets and comedy actor Vivek, also spoke.

Organic farmer Nammalwar, who is behind the project, was also present. 

SOURCE : THE HINDU (SAT ,SEPT 02 , 2006 )

LINK:http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/09/02/stories/2006090221380500.htm
LINK:http://www.projectgreenhands.org/
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