BSF aims for a record with green mission

As part of a 'Green Mission', the Border Security Force has taken a massive plantation drive all over the country to set a record in the Limca Book of Records, a BSF officer said on Sunday.

"We want to enter the Limca Book of Records by planting 1,80,000 saplings on August 19 as part of our green mission. More than 10,500 BSF personnel will plant trees in the border areas of Bangladesh and Pakistan for half an hour beginning 10 AM," Deputy Inspector General of BSF B S Rawat told reporters.

"Plantations will also take place in border outposts and all other installations of BSF on the day across the whole country," he said.

Of the total 15,106 km of the country's land border, Bangladesh shares 4,096 km and Pakistan shares 3,323 km and the rest are with China.

The green mission was the brainchild of BSF Director General D K Pathak which would help mend environmental degradation and maintain ecological balance, Rawat said.

At least 500 saplings would be planted in the headquarters of frontiers and the sectors and 50 in border outposts (BOPs), he said, adding a similar mission was undertaken in the name of "My Earth, My Duty" on Independence day in 2011 along the Indo-Bangla border and more than one crore saplings were planted.

Saplings also would be exchanged with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Agartala checkpost bordering Akhaura in Bangladesh, aimed at building better confidence between the two border guards, the BSF officer said.

The plantation programme would continue till August 21, Rawat added.