In a bid to restore the green cover lost during cyclone Amphan, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to plant 30,000 to 40,000 trees in the city, reported The Indian Express.

Over 15,000 trees in and around the city were destroyed in the storm that ravaged South Bengal on May 20, said Firhad Hakim, state minister and chairperson of the civic body’s board of administrators.

‘Over 15,000 trees have fallen in the city. Right now we have to plant 30,000 to 40,000 trees to fill this vacuum. We have to select the right trees for the city and will consult with experts before starting the drive,’ Hakim was quoted by the media.

Across the state, 1.65 lakh hectares of green cover was lost during the cyclone. The state government has formed an expert committee comprising of KMC officials, state forest department, environment department and noted environmentalists to monitor the process of tree plantation.

The #AmphanCyclone devastation might have uprooted thousands of trees across Kolkata but we at the @kmc_kolkata are taking measures to replant as many trees possibleTogether we will rebuild Bengal on a stronger foundation pic.twitter.com/R2RFBAbfD7

— FIRHAD HAKIM (@FirhadHakim) May 30, 2020

‘No construction can be made where there were trees which got uprooted in the storm. We are forming a policy whereby trees which can survive and have deep roots will be planted on roadsides. Trees which got uprooted but can survive if replanted, will be done. Such an initiative has been kicked off at the Rabindra Sarobar Lake. We have to retrieve the green cover in the city which has been lost to Amphan,’ Hakim was quoted by The Statesman.

State Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee said the work to plant trees will begin across the state from World Environment Day on June 5.

Also Read: COVID-19, Cyclone Amphan Leads To Renewed Concerns For Bengal’s Environment Refugees