Malang government to regreen city

MALANG, East Java: The Malang municipality will plant 79,000 trees within five years to normalize the local temperature to between 25 and 30 Celsius, a government official said on Saturday.

In preparation, the Malang Park Agency will plant seedlings on a prepare 3,000 hectare plot in Polehan, Kedungkandang district, said Park Agency head Soemarjono.

He said the agency would work with other institutions in the municipality, including universities, to procure seedlings.

"We will propose to several universities here that they oblige new students to contribute one seedling each," he said.

He said the regreening project was of dire importance, as Malang, which was known as a cool city, had warmed up and was now known as a polluted city.

The new trees could stem pollution and bring the city's temperature to its normal 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, he said.

Unchecked pollution and the lack of trees has raised the average temperature in Malang to over 30 Celsius degree. -- Antara