Venue: Netravathi Bridge, Adamkuduru, Mangalore
Date: August 14th, 2025. Time: 9.00 am
“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, Mr. 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 5th, 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 organizations (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 lakh 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, MV 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:
| Key Contributors | Places of Plantation | Number of Plants |
| DC office | DC Office, Padil | 08 |
| Centre for Advanced Learning (CFAL) | Derebail Ward and Kavoor Ward | 2381 |
| Jeeth Milan Roche
VANA trust |
Jeppu/Valencia [Adopted by Plants (Naturals)] | 541 |
| Vamanjoor | 701 | |
| Morgan’s gate and Mangaladevi Ward | 459 | |
| Mallikatte-Nanthoor Junction | 314 | |
| LadyHill, Urvastore, Mangala Stadium Road | 304 | |
| Pachanady | 706 | |
| NITK Suratkal | 315 | |
| Shaktinagara | 158 | |
| Kunajathbail | 82 | |
| Deralakatte | 463 | |
| Golf Club, Pilikula | 3911 | |
| Total Plants | 7954 | |
| Ashwini K Bhat | Gujarati School, Alake
KHB Colony, Kudupu St. Ann’s School, Kelarai (Adopted by Incture Technologies) |
79 |
| KFD, Karnataka | Jyotinagara (Pachanady), Padushedde Temple, Bondel | 274 |
| Rotary club Bengre (Madhav Suvarna & Devraj) | Bengre | 172 |
| MV Shetty Institution | Panjimogaru | 101 |
| School of Social Works, Roshni Nilaya | School Campus, Roshni Nilaya | 126 |
| Ms. Gayatri Rao (Ex-Corporator) | Nandanapura | 10 |
| Syngene CSR enabled by Biocon Foundation & VANA charitable trust | Mangroves at
Adamkudru |
40,000 |
DIVERSITY
- Acacia mangium
- Albizia julibrissin
- Albizia lebbeck
- Alpinia purpurata
- Alstonia scholaris
- Annona muricata
- Annona reticulata
- Annona squamosa
- Ardisia elliptica
- Artabotrys hexapetalus
- Artocarpus elasticus
- Artocarpus heterophyllus
- Artocarpus hirsutus
- Artocarpus lacucha
- Averrhoa carambola
- Azadirachta indica
- Baccaurea ramiflora
- Bambusa multiplex
- Bauhinia purpurea
- Bergera koenigii
- Breonadia salicina
- Bunchosia armeniaca
- Caesalpinia pulcherrima
- Calophyllum caledonicum
- Calophyllum inophyllum
- Camellia sinensis
- Capparis tomentosa
- Carallia brachiata
- Careya arborea
- Carica papaya
- Caryota mitis
- Casearia sylvestris
- Cassia fistula
- Ceiba pentandra
- Cestrum nocturnum
- Cinnamomum verum
- Cinnamomum verum
- Citrus hystrix
- Cocos nucifera
- Conocarpus erectus
- Cordia monoica
- Crotalaria pallida
- Dalbergia latifolia
- Dillenia indica
- Diospyros buxifolia
- Diospyros malabarica
- Ehretia aspera
- Erythroxylum coca
- Ficus benghalensis
- Ficus elastica
- Ficus ingens
- Ficus racemosa
- Ficus religiosa
- Flacourtia montana
- Funtumia africana
- Garcinia gummi-gutta
- Garcinia indica
- Garcinia intermedia
- Garcinia kola
- Garcinia xanthochymus
- Gliricidia sepium
- Gmelina arborea
- Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
- Holarrhena floribunda
- Holarrhena pubescens
- Holigarna arnottiana
- Jasmine
- Khaya senegalensis
- Lagerstroemia speciosa
- Leucaena leucocephala
- Litsea glutinosa
- Litsea monopetala
- Lophopetalum wightianum
- Macaranga tanarius
- Madhuca longifolia
- Magnolia champaca
- Mallotus oppositifolius
- Mammea suriga
- Mangifera indica
- Manilkara zapota
- Margaritaria dioscorea
- Markhamia lutea
- Markhamia tomentosa
- Mesua ferrea
- Miconia prasina
- Mimusops elengi
- Mitragyna parvifolia
- Monoon longifolium
- Morinda citrifolia
- Muntingia calabura
- Myristica fragrans
- Myrsine coriacea
- Neolamarckia cadamba
- Nephelium lappaceum
- Nerium oleander
- Persea indica
- Persea macrantha
- Phyllanthus emblica
- Pimenta dioica
- Pithecellobium dulce
- Pongamia pinnata
- Pongamia pinnata
- Pouteria campechiana
- Premna serratifolia
- Psidium guajava
- Pterocarpus marsupium
- Pterocarpus santalinus
- Pterospermum acerifolium
- Pterospermum reticulatum
- Pterygota alata
- Russelia equisetiformis
- Sabal minor
- Santalum album
- Sapindus mukorossi
- Saraca asoca
- Saraca indica
- Senegalia gaumeri
- Simarouba amara
- Simarouba glauca
- Spathodea campanulata
- Swietenia mahagoni
- Syzygium caryophyllatum
- Syzygium cordatum
- Syzygium cumini
- Syzygium jambos
- Syzygium malaccense
- Syzygium malaccense
- Syzygium samarangense
- Tabebuia rosea
- Tamarindus indica
- Tectona grandis
- Terminalia arjuna
- Terminalia arjuna
- Terminalia bellirica
- Terminalia catappa
- Theobroma cacao
- Thespesia populnea
- Trema orientale
- Trichilia dregeana
- Trichilia emetica
- Umbellularia californica
- Unknown
- Vateria indica
- Vepris louisii
- Vitex altissima
- Rhizophora mucronate
- Kandelia candel
- Avicennia officinalis