India News | Mamata Launches Project to Plant 5 Cr Mangrove Trees in Cyclone-hit Sundarbans

Kolkata, Jun 5 (PTI) On the occasion of World Environment Day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday inaugurated an ambitious project for planting five crore mangrove trees in the Sunderbans, which bore the brunt of cyclone 'Amphan' that destroyed nearly one-third of the forest.

Banerjee said 1,600 square kilometre of the 4,200 square km mangrove forest, which provides a natural barrier from storms, has been destroyed in the cyclone.

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The project for planting five crore mangrove trees in the Sunderbans is set to be completed within a month, the chief minister had said on Tuesday.

Planting a neem tree in a South Kolkata park, she said the West Bengal government, along with the civic authorities and the Kolkata Police, will plant 50,000 trees in the city, where 16,000 trees were uprooted by cyclone 'Amphan' on May 20.

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Training her guns on the opposition BJP, she said none other than Trinamool Congress leaders, ministers and workers were seen tackling the double blow of the cyclone and coronavirus in West Bengal, but one particular party was spreading canards against her government.

"Our government has already sent interim relief to 25 lakh farmers affected by the cyclone, those people whose houses were destroyed, affected fishermen and others have also been given money," she said, adding that her government has already released Rs 6,500 crore for relief and restoration work and more funds are required.

Banerjee said more than 10 lakh migrant workers have arrived in West Bengal from different states by bus and trains and that the state government has spent Rs 200 crore for their transportation and other arrangements

She accused the Centre of sending back migrant workers in an unplanned way, thus leading to the spread of COVID-19 in the state, which, she said had been under control.

"We will lovingly provide shelter to migrant workers since they are in distress, but the central government has sent lakhs of people without planning," the chief minister said and alleged that these people were not provided with treatment, food or money.

"Some of these people are sick when they arrive from places like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Gujarat, and some have also died in trains," she said.

"The number of COVID-19 cases was low in our state, but it has increased because many of our brothers and sisters are coming from outside," Banerjee said.

She said 4.5 lakh electric poles have been brought down by cyclone 'Amphan' and power connection has been restored in 90 per cent of the affected areas.

Banerjee urged people not to indulge in politics and to jointly work for restoration of normalcy.

"When we are working for saving the state from the devastation caused by the cyclone and COVID-19, one political party is busy canvassing that the present government be thrown out and that the people of Bengal vote for it," she said.

"But I am not saying that Narendra Modi be thrown out of Delhi. It is not the time for politics," she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)