DoE asks schools to plant 1.5 lakh saplings

The Directorate of Education (DoE) has directed all schools across the national capital to plant at least 1.5 lakh saplings through their Eco-Club members during the 2022-23 academic session, officials said.

It has also instructed all school principals and staff members to take part in the drive, and regularly monitor and maintain the plants with the help of students. "A target of 1.50 lakh saplings, including 40,000 trees and 1.1 lakh shrubs, to be planted in all schools of Delhi through Eco-Club members has been fixed for the academic year 2022-23," the DoE letter to schools read.

"Fifty per cent target will be achieved by August 15 by all schools for plantation in all the open areas and available space. Saplings can be obtained free of cost by each head of schools for the plantation from any of the identified nurseries being run by the forest department," it added.

The DoE has a set a target to every school to plant at least 100 saplings - 30 plants and 70 shrubs - in the current session. The school heads are required to send updates, along with photographs of the saplings, to the respective science centres through the zonal convener by the 5th of every month.

Further, the in-charge of the respective science centre is needed to send a compiled report of the districts under it to the science branch by the 10th of every month, it said.