Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has taken the initiative to plant five lakh saplings in Chattogram Metropolitan area through tree planting program.

CCC Mayor Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury inaugurated the tree plantation program in the Tigerpass Binnagas project area on Tuesday afternoon.

CCC Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Md Touhidul Islam, panel mayor Md Gias Uddin, Ward Councilor Abdus Salam Masum, Abul Hasnat Md Belal, Secretary Md Ashraful Amin, city Mayor`s private secretary Md Abul Hashem, Chief Education Officer Md Saiful Islam, Chief Accounts Officer Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, Malaria and Mosquito Control Officer Shariful Islam Mahi, Deputy Chief Clean Officer Morshedul Alam Chowdhury, Basti Development Officer Moinul Hossain Joy and others officials were present at the event.

The Mayor said, ``The environment should be protected by planting trees in a planned manner. The most talked about topic in the world today is the necessity of planting trees to protect the environment to prevent climate change. As we have hurt the environment, the environment is behaving hostile towards us. Due to which excessive drought and excessive rains are occurring. To maintain the balance of the environment, we need to create forests. With this aim, we have taken the initiative of distributing five lakh tree saplings free of cost to the students of the city`s schools and colleges along with the tree planting programme.``

He also said that each councilor was given 5,000 saplings to plant in their respective wards. I think we can make the city green by implementing this agenda, he added.