After planting 30,000+ trees “Mission Green Mumbai” hopes to plant one crore trees.
While Mumbai has been grappling with a lack of green cover, owing to the apparent urbanization, citizens have been taking efforts to increase the green spaces in the city. The “Mission Green Mumbai” campaign was initiated by the non-profit organization, Let’s Green Foundation. And, about 11,000 plants have been adopted from the present metro rail construction sites.
With the motive of “Each One, Plant One”, the campaign started off with adopting removed plants from the metro construction sites across the city. “We want 10 million Mumbaikars to adopt at least one plant and help in making the city greener. We are already battling with bad air quality and deteriorating climate in the city. One cannot deny that these green plants are our only protectors, but as of now they need our protection,” said Subhajit Mukherjee, founder of the Let’s Green Foundation.
The campaign soon gained momentum where around 5,000 plants were adopted from the metro construction sites. Within a few days of the campaign, several citizens and corporates came forward to adopt a plant and take its responsibility. As of now, the transgender community in Link Road has also joined the initiative, and have adopted 200 plants to make Mumbai a greener city. Several environmentalists, social workers and government bodies like Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), BMC and social groups have also joined this moment.
“It is not important to grow a plant by yourself but at least make sure to take responsibility of an existing plant, look after it as your own family member. Most of the roadside plants in Mumbai are treated like orphans, we need to adopt them by nurturing the plants well. If one wants to grow a plant, one has to make sure that they have to take responsibility. Make your own compost by digging a small pit in your society and disposing off all the biodegradable waste in it, and then covering it will leaves and mud. Start making compost in your society. It is a must. Please make sure to use gray water only for watering the plants,” added Subhajit Mukherjee.
More than 400 employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) joined the movement. Ritu Priya Khare, President of Telecom Women Welfare Organisation ( TWWO) said, “We have a vision to make BSNL a self sustaining and zero garbage organization, and we take an oath to stop the use of plastic bottles and other plastic products from every day life. Our team will visit other BSNL offices and housing colonies to educate and encourage more and more citizens to go for sustainable living.”
Meanwhile, the citizens can not only adopt these plants for their societies, but can also plant them outside the societies or in public spaces. “One has to make sure that they do not hamper the traffic or ongoing infrastructure work while growing these adopted plants, as there are chances of them getting destroyed. It’s better to make wise decisions on the spot for planting in such cases. If someone try to cut or destroy the plants, they can complain at 100 or contact respective BMC ward offices,” added Mukherjee.
Mukherjee said, “It’s a people’s movement to encourage people. We want 10 million Mumbaikars to adopt at least one plant and help make the city greener. We are already battling with bad air quality and a deteriorating climate in the city, and one cannot deny that these green plants are our only protectors – but as of now they need our protection. I would request corporates and NGOs to come forward and support the movement.”
If you have large space to plant 50 trees you can also write to trees.subhajit@gmail.com