Phoenix IT Solutions Ltd, a local IT company in the energy and utilities sector, has taken up a Haritha (Green) Vizag campaign after the Hudhud cyclone hit the city on October 12. A plantation drive will be taken up from Monday with the participation of several private agencies and Government agencies, including the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA). Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will launch the campaign on Monday.

G. Muralikrishna, the CEO and Managing Director of the company, said here on Sunday the campaign was unique in that a tree census would be conducted in the city with the help of volunteers and every new tree being planted would be tagged and the data uploaded on the portal so that its growth can be constantly monitored.

He said the company wanted to promote the smart city culture as Visakhapatnam was being made a smart city, and the plantation drive would be digitally monitored. "We have allocated Rs 1 crore for the programme out of our CSR funds and we will take the help of other industries, Government agencies and departments besides NGOs and the media in the drive. It is our endeavour to ensure that the survival rate of the trees planted is high. We will also make efforts to preserve the bio-diversity of the city and select suitable species in consultation with experts and environmentalists," he said.

He said the Chief Minister would formally launch the portal and mobile applications on Monday as a part of the plantation exercise taken up by the Government and several private agencies in the city. He said the company had appointed a team to implement and monitor the programme. The team would be headed by Vani Gannamani, the Director. He urged the public to co-operate with Phoenix in making the ambitious programme a success. The address of the website is >http://onevizag.org/map/ .

>sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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