No advertisements on trees in Kerala

Nedumbassery (Kerala): Concerned over use of roadside trees for exhibiting publicity materials, leading to their damage, Kerala government on Tuesday launched a drive to remove such materials including hoardings.

Under the scheme, launched in Palakkad district, publicity materials exhibited on trees along the carriageways were removed, Kerala Forest Minister Binoy Viswom told reporters at the Kochi International Airport here.

He said the scheme would be implemented in other parts of the state in a phased manner.

Reports from District Collectors and Forest Department regarding the advertisement materials exhibited on trees would be scrutinised and notice would be served to the concerned agency to remove the publicity materials, the minister said.

Viswom pointed out that long metal pins were used to hold the hoardings on the trees leading to untimely destruction of trees.

The government has succeeded in planting more than one lakh saplings in the state as a part of greening roads, a social forestry scheme, he said, adding public participation would be ensured for the growth of saplings.