Just trigger the topic of environment and the anger fumes out. However big, however small, each one today realizes that there is a strong need to protect the natural resources available.
I just googled “trees cut in Belagavi” and found 8 articles published on AllAboutBelgaum alone since 2011. The disaster is huge. Impact on environment has worsened. Importantly, the fact remains that there is shrinkage in tree count on one hand while increasing graph on various pollutants being emitted on the other.
A group of concerned citizens calling themselves “Green Saviours” are relentlessly trying to plant and restore greenery in and around Belagavi and attempting to bring the change. There have been mixed outcomes both good and bad but it has been a learning experience and the team has consistently improvised their approach with every experience.
Total plantation done is approximately 8800 plants in 30 different locations with a survival rate of about 80 to 85%
Green Saviours team works on every Sunday from 6:30 am to 11:30 am, planting trees, doing maintenance drives, creating mini forests, and planning other initiatives as well. These activities began about 2 years ago and on March 4th 2018, this team completes a consistent 100TH SUNDAY of GREEN innovation and hardwork. Trying to match the 100TH SUNDAY of saving GREEN, the team is planning a mega plantation drive at Rajgoli around 30 km away from Belagavi city.
Mr. Ajit V. Lokur and Mr. S.S. Deshpande of Kwality Animal Feeds Pvt. Ltd.(Belchick) have generously come forward by providing us around 12 guntas of land and also partnering our efforts both financially and long term commitment for “Miyawaki plantation” which means a mini forest with about 2500 plus trees of about 35 different species will attempt to survive on this patch. There was an experimental plantation of about 25 trees on February 11, 2018 on this very patch and the results seemed positive.
The actual work to prepare the land to hold 2500 plus trees will commence this Sunday that is February 25, 2018 where in excavating the land, making it porous enough for the saplings to survive, nourish the entire plot with husk and manure for faster and healthy growth of the species will be undertaken. The Mega plantation will be held on March 4th, 2018 and on this very day we are planning to plant around 2500 plus saplings on this patch of land.
TEAM Green Saviours strongly believes that together we can reverse the adverse change. We have been calling out for community associations in plantation and adoption of plants that have been planted to ensure its survival.
For all those who wish to be a part of this just dial 9611313919 or 9449837145 for the details. As always we are sure that there are noble souls in the society who always rise to the occasion and be a part of this special environmental protection drive.
I really appreciate the great work done by Team green saviours,Mr Lokur and Mr Deshpande. I request the team to visit Vaccine Depot once and see how age old trees are cut in the name of development. Very old trees are being cut on Mandoli road in the name of Road widening. Really it hurts.Some trees are more than 100 years old. Many trees are planted during Vanamahotsva. But within 4 to 5 months either they dry without water or eaten by cattles. Please give more attention to the already existing trees. Everyday I saw a number of fully loaded trucks with wood cut from different parts of our Belagavi and nearby places. That itself shows how much we care for trees. Day is not far away when we face shortage of even drinking water. Already rainfall has come down by 50%. Please take care of existing well grown age old trees.
RAMACHANDRA KULKARNI
Dear Sri Kulkarniji,
Your concern is genuine. But we at Green Saviours have found out that we cannot be Tree Vigilantes with bitter experiences. The society is hugely outnumbered by tree choppers to tree planters or tree guardians. So we follow a concept called Compensatory Plantation. We look forward to your support in creating awareness.
Peoples Voice will be Government’s policies.