Residents of Babylon Village in Kombo North, Western Region, last Sunday embarked on a mass tree planting and cleansing (set setal) exercise along the road linking the village to the highway.

Speaking to the Daily Observer, Lamin Jarjue, a community leader, said the exercise was a continuation of their weekly work schedule. He expressed delight over the large turn out, noting that it is a clear manifestation of their response to President Jammeh’s call for development.

He described tree planting as an important exercise for it does not only help to make the environment green, but is also a step towards improving afforestation for the development of the forest in the country.

For his part, Isagaa Gano, an environmentalist who spearheaded the tree planting exercise, said they planted a lot of gmelina trees and appealed to the Department of State for Forestry and the Environment and the National Environment Agency (NEA) to assist them with cleansing exercise materials for their weekend cleaning exercises.