Chandigarh, Aug 28 - At least 69,581 trees and 48,406 shrubs will be planted here by March next year, an official in the forest department said Friday.

The department has set the target under the Greening Chandigarh Action Plan. Already with 35.7 percent forest cover, Chandigarh tops the list of greenest cities in Asia. In India, Delhi follows Chandigarh with nearly 20 percent forest cover.

'We are the greenest city of Asia and all set to become greenest in the world very soon. Out of its 114 square-kilometer area, the Chandigarh has about 41 square-kilometers under the forest cover and an additional nine square-kilometers under tree cover,' said Ishwar Singh, Union Territory conservator of forests.

'Whereas our country has 20.3 percent area under forest cover and only three percent under tree cover.