Briefing Express Newsline further, deputy conservator of forest Dr R M Patel said that P Basu, Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment, Gujarat, would be the chief guest while several top officials including chief conservator of forest Ashok Kumar would be among special guests, besides all the heads of local administration, civic bodies and police.

The function scheduled to be held at Arya Kanya Vidyalaya would also feature a meeting of more than a dozen non-government organisations who would discuss methods to take issue of greenery to the masses, following the function.

About the ongoing programme, Dr Patel said that the department had so far sold more than 30 lakh saplings of shadowy, fruit and ornamental plants throughout the district and would achieve an all-time high target of selling over 1 crore saplings during the next two months.

Informing that all the saplings were being sold for less than a rupee, he added that special camps were being organised at village panchayat and taluka-level offices. He said people could buy a variety of saplings from 378 forest nurseries in the district and three in the city. However, there was also a special quota of free saplings for educational institutes, social fora and government offices, he said.