HIDCO plants neem saplings in New Town

Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) along with the officials of other agencies entrusted with the development of New Town and some residents of the area on Monday planted neem trees to mark the World Environment Day.

A K Chandra of PC Chandra Group will donate 1,000 saplings of the neem tree, which will be planted in phases. Sixty such saplings were planted to mark the occasion. Neem products used to produce organic pesticides and fungicides have become globally popular and China is trying to control the market for these products.

Neem products are increasing in popularity among people. With this fact in view, neem trees were planted on Monday. Senior officials of the Public Health Engineering department (PHE), state Forest department and New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) were also present on the occasion. It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had inaugurated Neem Bonani in Bankura in 2015.

HIDCO will hold an essay competition in Bengali, English and Hindi where any person can participate, regardless of their age. Those taking part in the competition will get three months' time and their write-up will have to be within 1,000 words. Later, a book containing the edited essays of the participants will be published and

P C Chandra group will bear the expenses.

HIDCO on Monday announced that it will honour the residents who plant saplings during monsoon and maintain it for one year. The residents will have to send their names along with the status of the trees after a year to HIDCO. It will then give a certificate along with a token prize to the person or groups who have maintained their trees properly for a year.

To celebrate Environment Day, HIDCO has decided to send SMS messages to people to inform them about the events that are being organised in New Town throughout the year. Interested persons will have to register their names by typing "newtown" and send it to 9230060000.