Ministry helps tree growers:

Grow enough trees to cut for needs

Suraj A Bandara

The Environment Ministry has decided to distribute saplings of valuable trees among the people who are interested in growing them in their own gardens.

Accordingly sapl-ings will be supplied freely to selected people who own at least an acre of land suitable for cultivation. The Ministry will monitor whether these plants are looked after well until they can be put to good use.

Teak, Mahogani, Kumbuk, jack, jack fruit, sandalwood, dunumadala and kon saplings will be supplied freely by the Ministry, a spokesman for the environment Ministry said.

Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said that this concept was initiated to encourage the people to grow valuable trees throughout the country in line with the development initiatives of the Government.

The required technical support when these trees grow up will also be available free for the planters. The Environment Ministry officials will provide instructions to the planters when problems would come up, he further said.

A special authorizing card will be given to all growers giving the authority to cut the trees when trees are grown enough to utilize for the human necessities, he said.

People experience lot of problems when seeking legal provisions to cut certain trees for their usage.