The fifth edition of the ‘Vana Ropa’, national tree planting program conducted by the President’s Office in line with the concept of ‘Rata Wenuwen Ekata Sitimu’ will be held from September 23 to September 28 in the Badulla District.
The main program is scheduled for September 28 at Mediriya in Badulla. Four hundred and fifty saplings will be planted throughout one acre of land.
The ‘Vana Ropa’ program was launched with the aim of achieving a 32 percent increase of forest cover out of the total area of land which is required for the sustainability of Sri Lanka, in terms of the Environment Circular No. 01/2015 (Annex i) dated 29.09.2015 issued by the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment on the directions of President Maithripala Sirisena aimed at ensuring conservation and development of forest resources. Accordingly, the month of October in every year has been designated as ‘National Tree Planting Month’ and a series of tree planting programs were launched all over the island on the sidelines of this program.
This progam also expects to increase the forest cover of the country through the active involvement of the general public in tree planting activities by maintaining nurseries, so that planting materials could be provided to officers of the respective institutions and the community associated therewith whenever necessary.
Through this progam all the schools, public and semi-government institutions are required to set up nurseries and maintain them while awareness raising programs are to be organised in order to impress upon the student community and officers the importance of tree planting and the purpose of setting up nurseries.
The nurseries will be set up in each Grama Sevaka Division through which catering needs of the planting material for the respective Grama Sevaka Divisions will be taken care of.