Bengaluru: Adamya Chetana has launched Sasyagraha, a nation-wide movement to adopt green lifestyle in all facets of our life – roti, kapada and makaan. The event, happened to be its 100th Green Sunday, saw plants being planted simultaneously in 150 locations across Bengaluru, concluding with everyone gathering at Kitturu Rani Chennamma Stadium for “Green Exhibition” and the launch of mobile app “Green Bharat 1:1” by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Chemicals & Fertilisers Ananthkumar to track, monitor and nurture trees across the country with an aim to balance the ‘human to tree’ ratio.
The movement which started as Green Bengaluru, is now extending to include the entire country as Green Bharat with a vision to increase the human to tree ratio as 1:1, which means 1 tree per person in the country.
After planting a sapling at Krishna Rao Park, expressing concern on the global warming and environmental issues, Ananthkumar said, “Gandhiji coined the term ‘Satyagraha’ in 1917, to start a movement for Freedom. Exactly after 100 years, we are coining the term ‘Sasyagraha’ to start a movement to ensure Sustainable Living. On this day, we pledge to start the Movement of Sasyagraha at a national level, involving people from across the country.”
He said Bengaluru in 18th century had a summer temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. “In just 300 years, human greed has destroyed this and built a concrete jungle. It is our responsibility to leave behind a good habitat, good health and good water to our future generations. This is not just a one-day programme, but continuous Movement to restore, and then safeguard Nature and make it as a part of our life’s routine. It is also not an individual or an organization’s efforts. It is people’s movement. I urge all Indians to take part in this movement to save the Divine Mother Earth. Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle be our mantra in our day-to-day life”, he said.
After launching ‘Green Bharat 1:1’Mobile App, the Chief Patron of Adamya Chetana, he said, “The trees that we plant are embedded with geo-tags. With this app, we can ensure that we not only plant trees but also track, monitor and nurture them until they grow up to be trees not die as saplings. This is one of the initiatives to create a mass movement – Sasyagraha, to spread and adopt a Green Lifestyle. We aim at planting, distributing and nurturing at least 10 lakh saplings by the end of 2018. Pledging to plant and nurture a total of 1 crore trees by the end of 2027 is a promise every Bengalurian must make. This should be followed simultaneously by the 6.5 Crore people of Karnataka, and eventually the entire country, to support in reaching and maintaining the human to tree ratio as 1:1. My ultimate desire is to motivate the entire world to take the same pledge and make the global human to tree ratio as 1:1.”
Speaking on the initiation and success of Green Sunday, Managing Trustee and Chairperson of Adamya Chetana, Ms. Tejaswini Ananthkumar said, “Green Sunday was initiated 100 Sundays ago with a main intention of fixing the human to tree ratio. With our core value as ‘Sasya Shyamalam Mataram’, and after 99 Green Sundays, people are now aware of our continuous and consistent efforts and so volunteer in huge numbers to support and participate in our plantation drives every single week. Many NGOs, educational institutes, hospitals, intellectuals and celebrities have also openly supported us across the country. So far, we have already planted, distributed or nurtured over 1.5 Lakhs saplings across Bengaluru. We will continue doing this as well as nurture the saplings that we have already planted and monitor them until each one grows to be a tree. “
Many political leaders including MPs, MLAs and corporators of Bengaluru, celebrities, prestigious institutions and organisations including IISc, NIMHANS, Kidwai memorial institute, NDRI, Narayana Hrudayalaya, PES university, Dayananda Sagar institutions, and housewives, children and many more from all walks of life who have taken up Green initiatives had participated. Pictures from previous Green Sundays, Green Bharat 1:1 app updates from the 150 locations, pictures shared through social media and website were displayed at the venue. Adamya Chetana’s newly owned tractors to dig pits to plant trees and tankers to water them daily were also displayed at the venue.
The Green Lifestyle Exhibition included display of 75 varieties of saplings suitable for Indian conditions, stalls on Zero Garbage kitchens, eco-friendly plate bank, and organic terrace gardens among other stalls.
