Mangaluru : Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Programme (SKDRDP) has initiated a huge campaign of planting around 31 lakh seedlings and saplings across Karnataka.

Speaking to media persons after launching the campaign here at Kudi government school, Sri Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr Veerendra Heggade opined that conserving natural treasures is the responsibility of every individual living on Earth. “Man, who is on a hunt for luxury, is either rampantly looting such treasures or destroying the asset, which has resulted in a dangerous situation. Depletion of the ozone layer would prove disastrous in the days to come. The Earth is turning into a hotbed of desert owing to the scanty rainfall resulting in drought situation all over. The future generations will to have worse days,” he warned.

“In order to overcome the problem by contributing a miniscule in its effort to have the environment, SKDRDP has decided to plant 29 lakh seedlings and two lakh saplings in 64,000 places in the state on the same day. Children and women are involved in the campaign. The programme to harvest rain water is also taken up on priority. As many as 126 ponds have been desilted and being maintained by SKDRDP. People should set up rainwater harvesting units in their houses and also tap the rainwater that flows and reaches the sea,” he advised.

Addressing the gathering at the programme, Heggade urged humans not to be selfish. “In the past 100 years, Nature has been extensively damaged owing to the greediness of humans. Children should be made to develop love for nature. Awareness should be created among children to conserve Nature. The saplings should be planted in any available space,” he reiterated.