Team Goemkarponn
Margao: In a significant step towards environmental restoration, the Goa Forest Department has announced the plantation of approximately 65,000 trees at Sonsoddo, Margao — a site long notorious as a legacy garbage dump — under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative.
The announcement was made by Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on the occasion of World Environment Day. He stated that the Sonsoddo plantation drive is part of a broader initiative to plant 5 lakh trees across Goa over the next 3 to 4 months, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a greener and more sustainable India.
“Phase 1 of the project began today at Sonsoddo with the plantation of 500 saplings,” Minister Rane said in a social media post. He added that Phase 2 is scheduled to commence in August, with a dedicated nodal officer appointed to oversee execution and ensure continuous monitoring.
Highlighting the transformation of Sonsoddo, Rane noted that the site — once a symbol of Goa’s waste management crisis — will now be converted into a dense green cover, making it one of the most ambitious ecological turnarounds in the state.
“This is not just a plantation drive — it is the beginning of a movement to reclaim and revive degraded landscapes. Let us come together to nurture Mother Earth, one tree at a time,” Rane said.
The initiative also aims to involve local communities and environmental groups in maintaining the plantations for long-term impact.
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