Started in April this year by a single man, tree plantation along the Eastern Expressway has turned into a drive by Mulund residents to save the city they live in
A group of citizens from Mulund have planted 109 trees along the Eastern Express Highway. This is their contribution in battling global warming. Pics/Rajesh Gupta
A group, made up of about 35 residents from Mulund, has decided to do their bit to increase the green cover in the city. These residents are planting indigenous trees across the Eastern Express Highway and have so far, planted 109 trees. It all began with Jeetendra Rathod, a lawyer attached to the Bombay High Court and Family court, who moved to Mulund East nine months ago. Being a nature lover, he started exploring his neighbourhood with a particular attention to the trees.
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“It was April 2022. I was taking a morning walk along the Eastern Express Highway when I noticed that some of the trees were in a really bad condition. While some had died, some had plastic and thermocol dumped around them,” recalled Rathod, who cleaned the area around the trunk and watered the trees. It is then that he noticed some vacant space alongside the highways where trees could be planted. “So, I started planting the trees and soon met my first companion, Arundhati Shinde. We bought some saplings and planted them. But they died soon after and that’s when we realised that we need to plant grown trees so that they can withstand the wind coming from speeding vehicles,” he added.
Jeetendra Rathod (left) carrying soil for plantation with the help of another member
To make watering these trees a hassle-free experience, Rathod modified his daughter’s bicycle and installed a carriage so that he can carry up to 40 litres of water in one ride. His dedication and consistency attracted more nature lovers.
“Every person has a nature lover in him, which comes out when you get a chance or find company,” shared Shinde, a nurse in BMC-run BYL Nair Charity Hospital near Mumbai Central. She joined Rathod soon after she saw him watering the trees. “We all talk about environmental problems but do we make any effort to solve it? This is our contribution in battling global warming.” With Shinde, came her brother and son, and soon a couple common friends and residents of the area followed. So far around 35 residents have joined Rathod, including college goers as well as senior citizens. Some members of the group even go for recce during the weekdays and if they find a spot where they can plant trees the following Sunday, they inform others through a WhatsApp group.
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The movement, which started from Mulund East, reached Nahur last Sunday after one of the members invited the group to plant 11 trees to mark her birthday. The trees have been planted near her complex so that she can take care of them on a daily basis.
Such has been the enthusiasm of every member that the group has now initiated a process to register itself as an NGO called Green Sage. The members have also reached out to the forest department to suggest a barren land or hill nearby Mumbai where they can begin a plantation drive.
“We plant only indigenous trees as birds choose them for nesting, and they are also more sustainable,” said Rathod, adding, “We understand the efforts we are taking are not on a big scale but I certainly believe if every one of us start contributing towards nature it will definitely bring some change.”
While the group has been gaining traction, it has had its fair share of struggles. The members had planted some trees near Sambhaji Garden in Mulund East, but they were uprooted by the bus drivers. A plantation of a banyan tree was also destroyed by locals, but they didn’t get disheartened.
To make a bigger impact, Rathod along with his friends reached out to BMC’s T-ward officials. Jitendra Pardeshi from the Garden Department not only helped them in getting more trees, but also guided them forward in their journey.
Complimenting their work, Pardeshi said that every drop counts. “The work done by these residents is appreciable,” he said, adding, “As BMC, we keep guiding the group about the choice of trees. In fact, we have made them available. I hope more people join hands and do their bit for nature.”
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