Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera on Monday said that 107,000 saplings have been planted throughout the country during the last four months under the Husma Dena Thuru (Trees that give life) Tree Planting programme.
Minister Amaraweera said that the Husma Dena Thuru National Tree Planting Programme, which he launched as the Environment Minister, has become very popular and many parties have appreciated it and have started following it.
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera was participating in a tree planting programme in Angunakolapelessa on Monday.
The Minister said that 20 environmental programmes were implemented by him. “Those programmes were called Haritha Hetak (Green Tomorrow). Its main programme is the Husma Dena Thuru National Tree Planting Programme,” he said.
“Under this programme a target was set to plant two million saplings in the next four years,” he said
He said that in the past four months, 10,7000 saplings were planted. Public money has not been spent on the project.
The private sector provided the money. But later they all supported. Therefore, the programme will be continued in the next four years without spending any government money, the Minister said.
“Many are now following Husma Dena Thuru and have started their own programmes under the name,” the Minister said.
“Mother Earth gives us trees by fertilising the garbage we throw. A human being needs 550 liters of oxygen for a day. One person needs to plant at least 10 trees to get oxygen he/she needs. Some people who live on the oxygen produced by 10 trees a day do not plant at least a single tree in their lifetime,” the Minister said.
“People worshipped trees in the ancient time because they knew trees provided them with oxygen. Therefore they called trees deities. Without trees, the human race is doomed,” the Minister said.
“Seattle, the leader of the Red Indians, had said that people will realise that money cannot be eaten after cutting down the last tree, eating the last fish and drinking the last drop of water.
If anyone cut trees, he/she is like a murderer. Therefore, we will double the penalties for destroying the environment under the new National Environmental Act. And the fine will be 10 times higher than it is now.
Those who protect the environment will be awarded. An awards ceremony will be held to give them the national recognition,” the Minister said.
