City plants green hope with 35,000 saplings................Bhavika Jain & G. Mohiuddin Jeddy  Mumbai/ Navi Mumbai

 

MUMBAI AND Navi Mumbai went green on Sunday, not with envy but with two nongovernmental organisations distributing and planting over 1 lakh saplings in the two cities.

I Love Mumbai, an NGO headed by former sheriff of Mumbai Nana Chudasama, distributed about 35,000 free saplings from 25 centres to encourage individuals and institutions to contribute to protecting the environment in their own way .

The NGO distributed nearly 35,000 saplings to various schools, banks, the railways, air force and navy for plantation on Sunday .

"We wanted to spread awareness among the people about the importance of trees. These are shade-giving trees so it will help benefit even more," said Gaurang Gora, who is in-charge of the centre in Matunga.

Last year, I Love Mumbai had distributed over a lakh saplings in the city, of which 55 per cent have survived.

"We maintain a register of the saplings distributed to check its growth every six months. Often, individuals call us back and tell us about how the tree is growing," Chudasama said, adding that this was a good way to show one's love for the city.

Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak, who was the chief guest at the function, said he had been supporting the cause for many years.

"This is a good time to plant trees because the soil is moist and the survival rate is very high," he said.

Over 100 students from schools like St Thomas, St Annes and Fort Convent from Navi Mumbai attended the plantation drive and held up hand-painted posters with ecofriendly messages. Actresses Waheeda Rahman and Perizaad Zorabian also adopted saplings.

In another plantation drive, music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan joined thousands of residents of Navi Mumbai to plant 1 lakh saplings in the city . The drive, spread over an area of 108 sq km comprising all the wards of the city, was organised by NGO Green Hope.

State Environment Minister Ganesh Naik and his son Sandeep, the standing committee chairman of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, were present on the occasion that was kicked off from Rajiv Gandhi ground in Sector 29 of Vashi. Also present were Navi Mumbai Mayor Anjani Bhoir and former Mayor Sanjeev Naik.

Speaking on the occasion, Ganesh Naik said: "Trees are the best protection for us against the dangers of the depleting ozone layer and global warming caused by pollution. Remedial action today will go a long way in preventing an impending catastrophe, that threatens the future of the world."

The saplings will be named after those residents who will help the NGO take care of the saplings.

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