Industries to chip in with 40 lakh plants and saplings To check pollution in the city, which has been listed as one of the most polluted places in India, an ambitious plan, “Green Visakha,” is being launched. Local industries will plant 40 lakh plants and saplings over five years in and around the port city. This was announced by Rajya Sabha member and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Science and Technology T. Subbarami Reddy. He discussed the programme with representatives of industries. Balancing economic development and controlling pollution was important, Mr. Reddy said, and added that it was the first time that a massive programme was being taken up by any city in the country. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy would launch the programme in December. Earlier, A.P. Pollution Control Board chairperson Janaki Kondepi appreciated the positive response from the industries and wanted them to understand the seriousness of the problem and help in implementing the programme successfully. Collector Lav Agarwal said that, to start with, one lakh saplings would be planted by December-end and seven lakhs when the monsoon began (May-June 2012). Though the plan was to plant eight lakh saplings during the first year, the response from the industries took the figure to nearly 9.5 lakh. Each industry would plant the saplings in the area allotted to it and maintain them. The saplings or plants would be supplied by nurseries of Kadiyam and social forestry wings of departments while some industries have their own nurseries. A sub-committee would monitor the programme. The industries which are contributing to the programme are: the Visakhapatnam Port Trust 1.06 lakh plants and saplings; HPCL 1.5 lakh; one lakh each by the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and NTPC; 75,000 by the Hindustan Shipyard; 50,000 each by the Coromandel Fertilizers, Ramkey and RITES Corporation; 30,000 by the Naval Dockyard; 20,000 by the Gangavaram Port; 15,000 each by Essar Steel and LG Polymers; 10,000 each by TMC, East India Petroleum and Nalco and 5,000 by the Andhra Petro Chemicals.