One Lakh Trees in Two Months — Bangalore Mirror, May 14, 2008

Making a Difference by Hitting back with Greenery -- Times of India, May 19, 2008

One Lakh Trees in Two Months -- Bangalore Mirror, May 14, 2008

Bangalore, May 14th: In another initiative, Rotary Bangalore IT Corridor has taken up an ambitious programme of planting one lakh trees in the next two months in the city.

Amarnath Kamath, the president of Rotary Club, Whitefield, says “The idea of planting one lakh trees has been on our agenda since last year when we succeeded in planting 1,000 trees with a survival rate of more than 90 per cent. Keeping in mind the concentration of industries in Whitefield and also the area from where we operate, we have chosen Whitefield initially and depending on the success it has for us to plan further.”

Dr. T V Ramachandra, Professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc says, “Whitefield is the area which has a large ratio of the carbon footprint in the city. The 21 kms area has experienced 2-3 degrees C rise in the mean temperature over the years and also we have lost 65 per cent green cover around the city. Even though the realisation has come late, it is good that the city has woken up to the requirements and we should take the programme forward.”

The association will plant native tree species in association with the forest department. Commenting on the post planting scenario, Rajeev Mehtani, MD of NXP Semiconductors, says “The association will hire water tankers and nurture these plants; many will be taken care of by the residents and corporates on their premises.” Gita Sriram of Management Support Consortium who is one of the active members of the club says, “Once the planting gets over, we are looking at bringing back the butterflies and birds unique to Bangalore which have disappeared over the years. In the long run, we plan to increase the water table of the area, retrieve native species and reduce C02 content in the air”.
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Making a Difference by Hitting back with Greenery -- Times of India, May 19, 2008

Bangalore’s green cover has reduced by over six per cent over the past 15 years, thanks to deforestation. Rapid urbanization has triggered an ecological imbalance and global warming, leading to a rise in temperature.

To create a non-toxic environment and replenish the green cover, a group of environment enthusiasts is working on a project — Green Dream — under the Rotary, Bangalore IT Corridor (RBITC) banner. “Infrastructure development has seen thousands of Gulmohar, Neem, Mango, Cherry, Banyan, Seethaphal and rain trees disappear over the years. While the city needs to keep pace with its human and vehicle population, the green cover is also important,” said a project member.

RBITC, started a couple of years ago, has successfully planted more than 500 trees around Varthur Lake and 1,000 trees along the road that leads to Varthur. Now, it plans to expand the project to Whitefield by planting one lakh trees native to the city.

The project will be carried out with assistance from environmentalists, forest department and BBMP. Individuals and corporates are also welcome to be a part of the campaign.

The organization is looking for people to care for the planted saplings. An individual or corporate may contribute financially or offer land for plantation. “You can also identify areas to plant trees or plant them yourself. We need volunteers to maintain saplings till they grow,” the member added. It costs about Rs 100 to procure a sapling, plant and maintain it for a year. Volunteers will be given a souvenir as a token of appreciation.

LOOKING TO RESTORE NATURE
Flowering trees like Flame of Forest, Camel’s Foot, Indian Coral, Bombax Ceiba (silk cotton), etc are native to Bangalore. Also Mango, Jackfruit, Neem, Banyan, Peepal, Singapore Cherry, Ficus, Jamoon and Tamarind, that attract insects and birds. The project is looking for volunteers for planting and looking after saplings. An individual or corporate may contribute financially or offer land for plantation

Whom to contact: Gita Sriram, project coordinator — 9886112444. Visit the website http://www.greendream.rbitc.org


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