Monday, May 10, 2010

Shramdhan, anyone ?

We could do with volunteers to join a tree-planting programme at Giridarshini Layout on T Narsipur Rd. We have persuaded Vrikshamitra K R Gurukar to lead our efforts to create community awareness to greening of neighbourhoods. Plan is to make a start with Giridarshini Layout.

It is a week-long programme, starting later this week. Apart from digging roadside pits for planting the programme involves a door-to-door orientation of residents towards upkeep of roadside trees; performing a special puja at neighbourhood temple to mark tree-planting. The temple has provision to perform vriksharchana for devotees seeking to plant trees to mark special occasions such as birthday, wedding
anniversary, success of their children in exams, in job interviews or placement abroad.

With school opening on June 1 parents sending their young ones to school for the first time can mark the occasion by planting a sapling in their backyard or roadside in front of their houses. What they plant would grow with their children, Years from now. as they move on in life, the tree they plant would bring them memories of the day they started going to school.

We chose Giridarshini Layout because a member of our tree-lovers group, Mr K N Sreenivas, has persuaded the temple trustees to perform vriksharchana for the benefit of devotees. Another,and a more pertinent, factor in our choice is that Giridarshini is virtually a zero-tree locality, where, where we reckon, it would be possible for us to make a difference with Mr Gurukar's intervention.

We have had several facebook friends offering help to Mr Gurukar in his work. This is a suitable opportunity for them to pitch in with shramdhan at Giridarshini. This would be a big help mobilizing local residents towards a green cause. Volunteering would involve two hours of help to Mr Gurukar in the mornings. Those who can't make it for the entire week could help out for a day or two at their convenience. E-mail gv.krishnan@gmail.com or call 0821-2421918 ; Mr Sreenivas - 9845692545 ; and Mr K R Gurukar - 9740877615

3 comments:

Rajesh said...

Very nice initiative. This is need of the hour.

Editor, SRC on child labour said...

Indeed a very good initiative. Planting a sapling on birth of a child in every household in the country should be made mandatory. A place can be reserved for the purpose in each village, taluk or district. It can also help in afforestation.

Editor, SRC on child labour said...

Indeed a very good initiative. In fact it should be appropriate to make it mandatory for every household in India to plant a sapling on birth of a child in each household. A separate place can be reserved for the purpose in every village, taluk and district headquarters. It can also support the idea of afforestation.