The former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has called upon students to take up a mission to enhance the green cover to protect the Earth.

He was speaking after inaugurating a function to felicitate K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, at Christ College, Irinjalakuda. Dr. Radhakrishnan had studied in Christ College.

Mr. Kalam asked the students to plant at least 10 saplings each.

“Our motto should be ‘Billion trees for billion people.’ India should contribute at least 10 billion trees to the world.

“Thus, you can contribute towards deciding our own weather,” he said.

Mr. Kalam said estimates showed that the annual carbon dioxide absorption by India’s forests and tree cover was enough to neutralise 11.25 per cent of India’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“To augment this potential further, we should enhance the tree cover in addition to the yearly plantation of the Forest Department,” Mr. Kalam said.
 

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Radhakrishnan said the discovery of water molecules in the moon was a major achievement of the organisation. ISRO’s achievements had given the organisation a prominent place on the space map of the world. Research would have to go a long way in finding answers to several intricacies of space.