Media Release

Mangaluru, Aug 13: "AMARA" is a spirited citizen-driven project, launched on World Environment Day, June 5, 2025, as a collaborative effort led by the district administration, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), Karnataka Forest Department (KFD), and CFAL Research Centre, under the leadership of its trustee, Vijay Moras, and Dr Smitha Hegde, director of Research, along with the CFAL and ELC students and teams.

The launch event, held at the New DC Office, Padil, was inaugurated on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, marking the official beginning of the AMARA mission.

The CFAL Research Centre focuses on sustainability, preserving and enhancing biodiversity in cities, and improving city rankings in liveability and environmental indices. The AMARA initiative, carried out with the citizens of Mangaluru, is one of the key efforts of the CFAL Research Centre to achieve these goals.

The project has also invited a broad consortium of community organizations, including the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Lions Club, Rotary Club, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), and various non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The primary goal of "AMARA" is to significantly boost the city's current low public green cover of 6.24%.

The AMARA mission has set a target to plant over 30,000 trees across Mangaluru's 60 wards. By 2040, it aims to increase the green cover of the city to 30% by planting and maintaining 1.5 lac trees in the urban areas of Mangaluru. The initiative seeks to create a cooler, cleaner, greener, and more resilient city, improving its ranking on India’s Ease of Living Index.

By late July–August 2025, impressive progress had been made, resulting in the successful planting and geo tagging of over 11,000 trees and woody shrubs of 145 different species. These plantings predominantly feature native and adaptive species of cultural, food, and medicinal value, such as Ficus species, Mango, Jackfruit, and Neem (list enclosed).

Notable contributors to this MCC-driven activity include the CFAL Research Centre, the forest department, Jeeth Milan Roche (Vana Charitable Trust), Ashwini K Bhat, M V Shetty Institution, Roshini Nilaya, Pilikula Golf Club, Madhav Suvarna (Bengre Ward), Mangalore Rotary Club, Incture Technologies, Swasthika Nandanapura, and St Ann’s School, Kelarai. NECF has extended its support in principle for the protection and improvement of Mangaluru’s green cover.

To ensure transparency and long-term sustainability, the CFAL Research Centre has implemented an innovative digital auditing system using apps to geotag each sapling, meticulously recording its species, location, growth (height and girth), and health status.

Plantation efforts are widely distributed across numerous areas within the city. Key locations where significant planting has occurred include Derebail, Kavoor Ward, Bengre ward, Shivabagh, Morgans Gate, Mangaladevi, Mallikatte, Nantoor Road, KHB Colony, Gujarathi School Alake, Pacchanadi, Pilikula Golf Club, Vamanjoor, and St Ann’s Kelarai School.

Additionally, specific audited sites encompass the stretch from KSRTC to Kavoor Junction, Jeppu, Valencia, Shaktinagar, Ladyhill, and Kunjathbail.

Mangaluru has the unique advantage of a coastline that supports mangrove populations. Over 40,000 mangrove saplings are planted by August 15, 2025, sponsored by Syngene CSR, enabled by the Biocon Foundation & VANA Charitable Trust.

The detailed list of tagged and audited trees are as follows:

DIVERSITY
1. Acacia mangium
2. Albizia julibrissin
3. Albizia lebbeck
4. Alpinia purpurata
5. Alstonia scholaris
6. Annona muricata
7. Annona reticulata
8. Annona squamosa
9. Ardisia elliptica
10. Artabotrys hexapetalus
11. Artocarpus elasticus
12. Artocarpus heterophyllus
13. Artocarpus hirsutus
14. Artocarpus lacucha
15. Averrhoa carambola
16. Azadirachta indica
17. Baccaurea ramiflora
18. Bambusa multiplex
19. Bauhinia purpurea
20. Bergera koenigii
21. Breonadia salicina
22. Bunchosia armeniaca
23. Caesalpinia pulcherrima
24. Calophyllum caledonicum
25. Calophyllum inophyllum
26. Camellia sinensis
27. Capparis tomentosa
28. Carallia brachiata
29. Careya arborea
30. Carica papaya
31. Caryota mitis
32. Casearia sylvestris
33. Cassia fistula
34. Ceiba pentandra
35. Cestrum nocturnum
36. Cinnamomum verum
37. Cinnamomum verum
38. Citrus hystrix
39. Cocos nucifera
40. Conocarpus erectus
41. Cordia monoica
42. Crotalaria pallida
43. Dalbergia latifolia
44. Dillenia indica
45. Diospyros buxifolia
46. Diospyros malabarica
47. Ehretia aspera
48. Erythroxylum coca
49. Ficus benghalensis
50. Ficus elastica
51. Ficus ingens
52. Ficus racemosa
53. Ficus religiosa
54. Flacourtia montana
55. Funtumia africana
56. Garcinia gummi-gutta
57. Garcinia indica
58. Garcinia intermedia
59. Garcinia kola
60. Garcinia xanthochymus
61. Gliricidia sepium
62. Gmelina arborea
63. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
64. Holarrhena floribunda
65. Holarrhena pubescens
66. Holigarna arnottiana
67. Jasmine
68. Khaya senegalensis
69. Lagerstroemia speciosa
70. Leucaena leucocephala
71. Litsea glutinosa
72. Litsea monopetala
73. Lophopetalum wightianum
74. Macaranga tanarius
75. Madhuca longifolia
76. Magnolia champaca
77. Mallotus oppositifolius
78. Mammea suriga
79. Mangifera indica
80. Manilkara zapota
81. Margaritaria dioscorea
82. Markhamia lutea
83. Markhamia tomentosa
84. Mesua ferrea
85. Miconia prasina
86. Mimusops elengi
87. Mitragyna parvifolia
88. Monoon longifolium
89. Morinda citrifolia
90. Muntingia calabura
91. Myristica fragrans
92. Myrsine coriacea
93. Neolamarckia cadamba
94. Nephelium lappaceum
95. Nerium oleander
96. Persea indica
97. Persea macrantha
98. Phyllanthus emblica
99. Pimenta dioica
100. Pithecellobium dulce
101. Pongamia pinnata
102. Pongamia pinnata
103. Pouteria campechiana
104. Premna serratifolia
105. Psidium guajava
106. Pterocarpus marsupium
107. Pterocarpus santalinus
108. Pterospermum acerifolium
109. Pterospermum reticulatum
110. Pterygota alata
111. Russelia equisetiformis
112. Sabal minor
113. Santalum album
114. Sapindus mukorossi
115. Saraca asoca
116. Saraca indica
117. Senegalia gaumeri
118. Simarouba amara
119. Simarouba glauca
120. Spathodea campanulata
121. Swietenia mahagoni
122. Syzygium caryophyllatum
123. Syzygium cordatum
124. Syzygium cumini
125. Syzygium jambos
126. Syzygium malaccense
127. Syzygium malaccense
128. Syzygium samarangense
129. Tabebuia rosea
130. Tamarindus indica
131. Tectona grandis
132. Terminalia arjuna
133. Terminalia arjuna
134. Terminalia bellirica
135. Terminalia catappa
136. Theobroma cacao
137. Thespesia populnea
138. Trema orientale
139. Trichilia dregeana
140. Trichilia emetica
141. Umbellularia californica
142. Unknown
143. Vateria indica
144. Vepris louisii
145. Vitex altissima
146. Rhizophora mucronate
147. Kandelia candel
148. Avicennia officinalis