President Gotabaya Rajapaksa inaugurated the ‘Husma Dena Thuru’ (Trees that give breath) national project around the Army-constructed new leisure park (walking track) on Friday (20).
The project was launched jointly by the Central Environment Authority, Ministry of Environment and the Army, and the President planted the first few Sandalwood saplings around the leisure park.
The new afforestation project expects to plant 2 million saplings across the country and increase the country’s forest cover by 30 percent as set out in the President’s policy statement.
It was the Sri Lanka Army early in December last year, taking a lead in the acceleration of the national drive for afforestation and beautification of the country, coincident with the government’s environment-friendly Green Project concept under the self-styled ‘Thuru Mithuru Nawa Ratak’ project, proposed by Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva.
