Planting of palmyra tree seeds is to be carried out on a mass scale covering all village panchayats in Tiruchi district. The initiative is aimed at promoting ecological and economic importance of Palmyra and to strengthen efforts in the restoration of the environment.

The Forest department and the District Rural Development Agency are to be involved in the mega drive of planting 20.70 lakh palmyra tree seeds all over the district this year. 

Each of the 404 village panchayats in the district have been assigned 5,000 seeds for planting in their limits. The planting of 2.20 lakh seeds is to be done through the District Rural Development Agency and the Forest Department has been allotted 50,000 seeds for planting them in various places, said a Forest Department official.

The Forest Department has planned to plant the Palmyra seeds along the bund of three tanks, including at Konalai and Mahilambadi. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme workers are to be engaged for planting the seeds at the three locations identified by the Forest Department, the official said. 

The Forest Department launched the mega planting exercise near a tank at Konalai in Manachanallur block in the district on Wednesday. The exercise was inaugurated by Tiruchi District Forest Officer S. Krithiga. Students from the Horticulture College and Research Institution at Navalur Kuttapattu, teachers and students from the Government Higher Secondary, Ayyampalayam, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme workers, and volunteers participated in the planting activity.