Latur: The Latur-based College of Agriculture has won the prestigious Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vanashree Award 2024 for outstanding contribution in tree plantation, forest conservation and environmental protection, officials said on Friday.
The college, part of the Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, secured first position at both the state and divisional levels in the educational institution category, they added.
Director of Education Dr Babasaheb Thombre said the plantation initiative at the college began in 2008 through the National Service Scheme.
"Around 60,000 trees each were planted in 2018-19, 2022-23 and 2023-24. Overall, the college campus had developed a green cover of more than 2.5 lakh trees by June this year. The developed tree cover generated around 10 lakh kg of oxygen every 24 hours and contributed nearly 6,250 carbon credits annually," he said.
VNMKV Vice-Chancellor Dr Indra Mani the university had planted around 5.80 lakh trees across its campuses at Parbhani, Latur, Ambajogai and Badnapur during the last four years.
The plantation drive included nearly 40 varieties of trees comprising fruit-bearing plants, medicinal and aromatic species, flowering plants and timber-yielding trees, Mani added.
For the year 2026-27, a large-scale plantation programme has been proposed on 66.43 hectares of university land at Parbhani, Ambajogai, Golegaon, Jalna and Badnapur with the support of the Forest Department and Social Forestry Department, Mani said.
Around 6.50 lakh saplings are planned to be planted under the programme, along with protective measures including 44.40 km of chain-link fencing and bio-fencing, the Vice Chancellor added. PTI COR BNM
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
