The district administration, Green Kalam and Mohamed Sathak Trust launched a mega campaign to plant one lakh saplings, with Collector K. Nanthakumar planting the first sapling at the Collectorate complex here on Monday. Hundreds of school students also planted saplings at 50 designated sites across the district. Actor Vivekh, founder of Green Kalam, Deputy Inspector General of Police M. Ramasubramani, Superintendent of Police N. M. Mylvahanan and S.M. Hamid Abdul Quadir, Chairman of Mohamed Sathak College, were present when the Collector launched the event. At the end of the day, 50,000 saplings of three varieties of trees, best suited for the district, were planted at Ramanathapuram, Kamudhi, Kadaladi and Mudukalathur by students of 491 primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools. Later, addressing a function at Mohamed Sathak College, Mr. Nanthakumar, congratulating Vivekh for promoting tree planting, said that the planting of 50,000 saplings in the district was only a beginning. The district has an ambitious plan to go beyond planting of one lakh saplings, he said. Speaking at the function, Mr. Vivekh said that in the first phase of Green Kalam project-“One billion people one billion trees,” he has so far planted 18 lakh saplings throughout Tamil Nadu. He said that despite half of the Ramanathapuram district having water bodies, the district was under the grip of severe drought in the absence of trees. Explaining the global warming and the need for clean environment, the actor who is known for his jokes with a progressive message, exhorted the students to evince interest in planting tree saplings. As the Collector was willing to provide space for planting seven lakh trees, students should come forward and join hands with Green Kalam to fulfil the dream of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, he said. He thanked O. Athmasamy of Vijayalakshmi Trust for providing 50,000 saplings. “Let us plant more trees to get more rains,” he said.