BANGALORE: The thinning tree cover, contaminated water, garbage in drains and polluting industries that have consumed Bangalore's water bodies, are all indications that environmental disaster is already upon us, and we need to read the writing on the wall and act fast, Minister for Forests and Environment C. Chennigappa said here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the World Environment Day celebrations, Mr. Chennigappa, who gave away saplings to six schoolchildren in a symbolic gesture, told Health Minister R. Ashok that he would place the services of the Forest Department at his disposal and join in the work of restoring Bangalore's clean and green reputation.

To lead by example, the Government had decided to give five crore saplings to the Vana Samvardhane Trust headed by Balagangadharanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Samsthana, free of cost, to plant "one tree for each Kannadiga".

Mr. Ashok, who is the Minister in charge of Bangalore city, said no one knew better than he the value of a tree, having planted neems along the entire stretch of the road where he lived and watched them grow into huge giants giving shade and cooling the area. He and his mother now had to stay awake all night whenever Ugadi came round to guard against people plucking neem leaves for the festival.

Call to plant trees

"I am not sure if I would have done this if I hadn't planted them, but I recommend that every one should plant a tree and protect it as fiercely as Salumarada Thimmakka does," he said.

Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board H.C. Sharatchandra spoke of the consequences of overusing and wasting energy, which had heated up the planet and caused climate change, for which the world was not prepared. Reduce, reuse and recycle were three magic words that still had the power to protect our planet, he said.

Awards presented

Mr. Chennigappa gave away awards to individuals and institutions for outstanding work in protecting the environment in the past year.

The award winner's are: Salumarada Thimmakka, Bangalore's own Wangari Maathai, who has planted trees along a 3-km stretch of the Hulikal-Kadur road and maintained them for more than a decade; M.R. Prabhakar, "cycling philatelist" who is travelling all over the State with his collection of stamps on the theme of the environment; Vijaya Angadi, a terrace garden enthusiast who goes around spreading awareness about organic farming and campaigns for tree planting in open spaces; and Keshava Hegde Korse, a lecturer in Dharmasthala, who has been conserving medicinal plants and promoting medicinal plant gardens.

The four institutions that honoured are: the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, which has built the country's first Government-owned green building, in Gulbarga; Nataraja Gurukula, founded by Guru Freddy for nature education; Chetana Nagara Matthu Grameena Abhivrudhi Samsthe; and Karikana Parameshwari Grama Aranya Samiti