Kochi :

The ‘My Tree Challenge’ campaign, launched by actor Mammootty recently for planting trees, has crossed the oceans and reached other continents, with an Australian mayor accepting the challenge.

Stuart Slade, Mayor of the Glenorchy City Council, has planted a gumtree at the Tolosa park in the capital of Tasmania, an  island city in Australia.

The mayor, who named the tree ‘Gandhi’ as  an honour to Mahatma Gandhi, has also challenged the mayors of Melbourne, New York, Paris and London to plant trees.

Slade thanked Mammootty for the concept, while acknowledging it as a solace to the  planet that is fast becoming polluted. He also invited Mammootty to Tasmania, and urged him to pay respect to the Gandhi tree.

The Mayor, who is an enthusiast of India and the country’s development, came to know about the My Tree Challenge from Sajini Sumar, chairperson of the Multi-cultural Women’s Council of Tasmanaia.

The My Tree Challenge, a campaign involving planting of saplings and challenging others to do so, was launched by Mammootty on August 30 – inspired by the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’. He had asked Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Tamil actors Vijay and Suriya to take up the challenge.

Mammootty had also planted a tamarind tree on the premises of Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / October 21st, 2014