Citizens of Kolkata Planted 1000 Trees to Transform Their Locality ; 5 Ways You Can Start Now Too

“Air Pollution” is a big problem in India. The cities are densely populated and have left little space for nature and biodiversity to thrive and Many residents keep criticizing the government policies,

Realizing this, 47 years old Kolkata’s Biswajit Majumder who hails from West Bengal’s Newtown city started exploring ways a common man can contribute to mitigating pollution.

“In Newtown, there are many open spaces. To avoid labour costs, people clean these spaces by burning waste. There’s a lot of stubble burning in the middle of residential areas. We breathe toxins,” he adds.

In order to mitigate air pollution, Biswajit started a movement to plant 1,000 trees in the area by engaging citizens.

Biswajit is a chemical engineer by profession, and alongside his job, leads the plantation drive. He began his endeavor in May 2022 with his son. 

It was at this time that he met another local resident Subhankar Majumder, who has been separately planting trees in various places around the township. The duo then started working together.

They approached local morning walkers and received an encouraging promise of participation. The group started to identify places such as roadside dividers and parks. They went on to talk to various local people, including auto drivers, roadside hawkers, local gardeners, and morning walkers.

“People started gathering spontaneously, and soon we built a network of 140 people in the city. They started planting in various places almost on a daily basis, as a spontaneous expression of love for greenery and love for the city.

We are propagating what we can do at our end by practicing and not just preaching. We are not doing this just for photos,” says Biswajit, who himself has planted up to 100 trees in the city.

Tips to replicate the movement

Biswajit shares a few tips for citizens to replicate this movement in their cities.

• Instead of planning a massive plantation drive on one particular day, Biswajit says to include it in the daily exercise regime. “Convert a part of your exercise regime into this physical activity. It is a fun activity where you do a lot of digging, fetching water, etc. Dedicate two out of five days of physical activity for the plantation,” he says.
• Break the barrier of shyness. “First day will be odd, but the second day will be a pleasure,” he says. Engage a close friend in the activity.
• Identify public places such as dividers and parks that are not well-maintained.
• Plant native trees. Ensure its survival by watering it regularly during the morning exercise regime. Look after it for at least a year.
• Plan another plantation drive at another location. Engage local people like auto drivers, who will remain at that place to water the saplings. “Engage them in plantation activities and make them feel as if this is their plant.”

Reference: thebetterindia