Let us plant hope on Republic Day for a greener tomorrow

On Republic Day, an overview of 2021 should be a matter of concern for us as this was the fifth warmest year since 1901. A big factor behind this happens to be disruptive human activities, deforestation, loss of biodiversity zones, and industrial undertakings that release greenhouse gases. The fallout is visible in extreme weather events like floods, cyclones, heatwaves, and disrupted agricultural cycles.

Bikrant Tiwary, CEO, Grow-Trees.com says, "On Republic Day, let us plant hope and give a greener tomorrow to future generations of Indian citizens. Environmental experts have repeatedly indicated that preserving existing mature forests, planting trees, and allowing them to develop to full maturity is critical to mitigating climate change. Planting trees can also prevent soil erosion, sequester carbon, make overheated urban zones cooler and sustain rural populations with livelihoods and natural produce. If all Indian citizens vowed to plant and nurture a tree, imagine the number of green spaces we could create around us, the wildlife habitats we would enhance and the canopy cover we would provide to our cities."

On its part, Grow-Trees.com has created both hope and resurgence through its plantation activities, and even during the most challenging months of the pandemic in 2020, the social organization planted over 26 lakh trees across 23 states, while empowering migrants who had returned to villages from locked up cities and needed livelihood opportunities. It also became clear then that the model of community engagement and afforestation can thrive even when urban models fail.

Today countless individuals and corporate entities have joined Grow-Trees.com to plant and gift trees via sponsorships and a one-of-a-kind 'Greet with Trees' service that allows anyone to plant trees on behalf of their family, friends, or employees. These trees are then planted in projects initiated by the organization in the rural parts of India.

Grow-Trees.com recently engaged the flood-hit Irula tribe in plantation activities and also extended essentials like rice, salt, bedsheets, beds, and soaps to more than 350 families. This gesture was true to the organization's credo that the republic is not just a notion but a living entity made up of diverse communities, many of whom need our collective attention and support.