DW BUREAU / LUDHIANA The Ludhiana district administration has decided to start a special drive for planting 4.25 lakh tree saplings across the district this month. Starting the month long Van Mahotsav by planting saplings near Tiger Safari here Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said that the forest department has already set its wheels in motion for starting this ambitious drive and added that the sole aim of the drive is to ensure maximum green cover in the district through plantation of trees. He said that with the advent of monsoon season, the administration has planned to kick off this drive for increasing the area under forest cover. He said that these saplings would be planted on panchayati land, the strips around village ponds, on sides of the roads, educational institutes, healthcare centres and others to be used for enhancing the green cover. He said that even individuals can receive the saplings free of cost from the forest department through the i-Hariyali app. Deputy Commissioner disclosed that last year, more than 80,000 saplings were distributed among people through this app. He said that the administration would take care of the saplings planted for the coming three years to ensure their proper upkeep. He said that special focus has been laid on planting site-specific plants so that they can grow well in a conducive environment. (editor@dailyworld.in)