Chikkaballapura (K'taka), Sep 18 (PTI) Isha Outreach, the social arm of Isha Foundation, on Saturday said it will facilitate planting of lakhs of saplings, bushes, seedlings, grasses, and fruit varieties that are popular with native fauna in Nandi Hills here and other adjoining hills, as it launched the 'Namma Nandi' project.

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The project's goal is to nurture the birds and animals and turn the area into a wonderful ecological site, it said in a release.

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"We'll start an educational programme on how to own this hill. What we own, we should protect. Nurturing has become necessary because there has been exploitation," Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, said, addressing around 200 volunteers gathered at the site for the Namma Nandi plantation drive.

Sharing the plan of action, he said, "We want to activate a membership programme for the Namma Nandi movement. At least 10,000 youths should enroll. As youths, you should not smoke, drink, throw things around and go. We must change this perception about the youth and say that Bangalore city youths are not like that."

The ecological initiative is being undertaken with the support and guidance of the district forest department and administration of Chikkaballapura district.

(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)