Sunday 15 July 2012

Make a wish, plant a sapling

How often have you wished to plant a sapling and found no space in front of the house? Or your wish to plant saplings in memory of your loved one has remained a distant dream. Or even if you wanted to plant saplings in celebration of birthdays and marriages, you were put off by the same question of maintenance and space. If you are wondering how to gift a tree to you friend, help is at hand. Several government departments, BWSSB, Lake Development Authority and an NGO have embarked on a green scheme to provide you with space for planting and also to take care of your trees.

The idea does not end at planting saplings and providing space. The main objective is to create a forest and improve the catchment area of Thippagondanahalli reservoir (in Bangalore rural district), which provides drinking water to parts of Bangalore City. In addition, it aims at involving the public, students and teachers in environmental conservation.

By paying a nominal amount of Rs 500 per tree, an individual or group or an organisation can plant and adopt a tree in the catchment area of the reservoir. In the Savinenapina Vana (memorial plantation) one can plant trees in the memory of the dead while in the Srimithi Vana (commemorative plantation), trees can be planted in celebration of birthdays, marriages, building of new houses or simply for the fun of it. A certificate bearing the tree number and location will be given to all those who plant the trees.

Parisara

Eshwar Prasad of Parisara - Environment Protection Organisation who is the brain behind the initiative says that all the trees that would be planted will be native varieties. Each tree will bear the name of the person and address who has planted it. The money is a one-time investment that will be spent on maintenance and guarding the trees. People who plant the trees can also spend a day every year at the forest that will be created, he adds.

When Eshwar broached the idea with the BWSSB, they were eager to support the initiative. Later, he approached the government for permission to afforest the 300 acres of revenue land in the catchment area. To start with, 18,000 saplings will be planted in the area and depending on the success the scheme will be extended to a larger area. Eshwar hopes to rope in school and college students, youth associations and the public to support this green cause.

Former development commissioner Chiranjiv Singh who was involved in the initiative right from the beginning says: “the concept is very good as it is participatory in nature. The best way way of giving back to mother earth is by planting trees.”

The project

Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Karnataka Vijay Gore who has been supporting the project says that this is the best project in recent times. A forest in the catchment area will minimise water seepage and also moderate the climate. About fears that the trees may be cut down later by the government after it is fully grown, Mr Gore points out that the empowered committee will make a special clause and that will prevent the cutting of trees.

A committee has also been formed to oversee the implementation of the initiative. It comprises of representatives from Lake Development Authority, Deputy Commissioners of Bangalore Urban and Rural Districts, Department of Forest Ecology and Environment, Parisara, Forest department, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, University of Agricultural Sciences, State Bank of India, Canara Bank among others.

The scheme will be launched in the next fortnight and if the initiative succeeds, a nice little forest will drape the Thippagondanahalli catchment area in the next decade.

For more details, contact Eshwar Prasad, Secretary, Parisara on 9448077019, or email to ecolinker@hotmail.com

This article appeared in Deccan Herald on 24th May, 2005.

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