Image credit : Illustrative Image

Members of the Rathinam Memorial Trust on Monday distributed saplings of fruit bearing trees to the students and staff members of Muthugoundanur Government Higher Secondary School near Sulakkal, Pollachi.

Giving details to The Covai Post, Mookambika Rathinam, founder-trustee said all the 375 students and the teaching and non-teaching staff members were asked to plant the saplings in the school campus so that they grow into fruit bearing trees in the next few years.

“It all started when a large number of trees were cut on the Coimbatore-Pollachi Road during the road widening project. Only a few were saved. That was when I decided that I should do something about this,” she said.

As a first step, she along with Padmapriya of Save Our Country, decided to spread awareness among students to collect saplings of fruit bearing trees and plant them in their school campus.

“Saplings of jack fruit, mango, guava, amla, accacia and pungai trees were given to the students. The students have been given the responsibility to take care of the saplings they have planted and to nurture them till they bear fruits,” she said and added that the aim of the project was to preserve the natural resources for the future generations and to make Pollachi more greener.

Mookambika Rathinam was one among the four women from the city who went on a road trip to London, covering 24 countries in 70 days.