Drive to plant one crore trees in the country starts in Bangalore

My Earth My Duty, the ambitious campaign by Zee News to paint the country green, got off to a promising start on Tuesday.

Students and youth club members lined up enthusiastically to take a sapling back home. They would plant and nurture it and watch it grow to its full potential, they vowed. By September 12, the campaign organisers, Zee News and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghathan, plan to distribute one crore saplings all over the country.

Invitees including corporator HR Krishnappa, Bangalore Central MP PC Mohan and law and parliamentary affairs minister S Suresh Kumar failed to turn up but that did not eclipse the message of the day: Plant trees and make your neighbourhoods greener. Environmentalist Shivamallu urged the youth to care for water and trees.

“We are running out of these. If we do not act now, we would have exhausted oxygen and water in 10 years. We would have to walk around with oxygen tanks on our backs and pipes in our nostrils,” he said. The present generation who would be tomorrow’s decision-makers should not follow in the footsteps of those doing away with trees today to make room for industries and roads, he said.

Farmlands are shrinking as land is being acquired for other purposes. If this continues, the country might face starvation, Shivamallu warned.

“When you go visit your grandparents, relatives, ask them not to sell their farmlands, no matter what the pressures,” he advised the youngsters. The young had to take charge of the situation, he said.

Although organised in a couple of days, the event was a well-managed one, said principal of the school CM Kundgol. Quoting poet Jedara Dasimaiah, Kundgol impressed upon the young minds that the nature was the most immaculately designed creation. “We should not be callous with how we treat it,” she said.

Continuing on the same philosophical note, Doddannavar, president of Basaveshwara Educational Institutions,  said that mother Earth is the most patient entity. “Let’s give back to her, be sensitive, reciprocate her love,” he said.

Film actor Monisha too said she feared a future where trees would be completely gone and children would have to be acquainted with them through pictures.

Mindless pillage of natural resources is to blame too. “The young are not mindful about how they use water. If they keep digging for natural resources, there will be nothing left for the future,” a teacher said.

Representatives of youth clubs took part eagerly and said they were keen to take back saplings. “We will plant these saplings in parks and other public places. There is plenty of space, we have the time to spare for a green cause,” said DJ Pushpalatha of a women’s organisation from Magadi Road. She had arrived with her team of performers who entertained audiences with song and dance.

“We’ve come all the way from Yelahanka New Town. We plan to hold an awareness programme in Yelahanka next month. We are eager to spread awareness about the environment, tree planting and protection,” said Lakshmidevi R of the Bhuvaneshwari Mahila Mandali.