Chennai conservancy firm enters into MoU with Green Tamil Nadu Mission

CHENNAI: Urbaser Sumeet, a private firm that carries out garbage collection works in 7 of the 15 zones in Chennai Corporation has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Green Tamil Nadu Mission. As per the MoU, the firm will plant tree saplings across the 7 zones where garbage dumping occur.

VR Hari Balaji, senior manager - communications, said that despite Urbaser Sumeet workers remove garbage dumped in public places. "In some places, residents continue to dump repeatedly. Planting trees will discourage the residents from dumping. Along with the Green Tamil Nadu Mission, trees will the planted in hotspots wherever possible, " he said.

The MoU was signed in front of Deepak Srivatsava, director of Green Tamil Nadu Mission, on Friday. He added that the trees will be geo-tagged to monitor their growth. Urbaser Sumeet will also plant trees in educational institutions and residential areas.

"Residents Welfare Associations and local communities will be roped in to maintain the saplings after planting. Saplings will be provided by the Mission, " he added.

Hari Balaji explained that involving local communities will help maintain the trees and growth status of the trees will be shared with the Mission office periodically.

Under the Green Tamil Nadu Mission, the state government has taken measures to increase the green cover of the state to 33 per cent from present 23.69 per cent by planting 260 crore saplings by 2031. The government has set up 360 nurseries across the state to raise saplings. Apart from planting saplings through forest department staff, the Mission provides saplings to NGOs, corporate firms by signing MoUs.