In a step to make the environment greener, a municipality in the district of Kerala, India, has decided to pass legislation that will require newly constructed buildings to have at least two native fruit trees planted mandatorily.
The rule will apply to any new buildings, commercial or residential, that occupy an area of more than 1500 square feet. According to the proposal, anyone submitting a plan to build a house should have at least two trees of mango, jackfruit (the official fruit of Kerala), or coconut planted and well taken care of before they receive the occupancy certificate. Part of the new legislation, smaller buildings will also have to plant saplings of shrubs or small flowering plants.