A 'Green Dadar' initiative stresses the nature and nurture aspect, dispelling Monday morning blues with a touch of green
Chandra Shetty, Girish Shetty, G D Sharma and Tarun S Bhansali put up a guard near a newly planted sapling
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A group of six residents from Dadar have come together to begin a 'Green Dadar' initiative. Tarun Bhansali, founder says it is specious to rue the obliteration of green spaces because of infrastructure projects, action is the solution.
Says Tarun, our aim is to, "make Dadar the greenest ward in Mumbai.It is not known for its greenery, and we are trying to change that. Green Dadar planted their first sapling on June 20 near Antonio D'Silva School, opposite Kabutar Khana."
Monday ka funda
Tarun says they have planted at least 15 saplings since inception, "some at Agar Bazaar, and two outside the police quarters in Dadar." The Green Dadar gang as they like to call themselves, reserves, "every Monday morning for tree plantations. There is nothing like beating the Monday morning blues with a touch of green," they laugh. Chandra Shetty from Dadar, says, "Monday not Sunday is traditionally a holiday in Dadar, so we zeroed in on Monday mornings. We get saplings from the Garden Department in the BMC, which charges a nominal amount. We wanted to start small because it also dissipates the fear of taking up a time consuming, mammoth task.
"There are a lot of people who want to do something for the community but they keep waiting for it to become a big group, then, they worry about where the funds will come. We need a banner, we need a grandiose name. Such thoughts can overwhelm one, literally crush one under their weight and then, people never begin. That is why we decided to take initial small steps," says the hotelier-entrepreneur.
Tea for trees
Shivaji Park resident, Girish Shetty endorses the small steps sentiment, and how they shook off the 'paralysis by analysis' effect saying, "we, as a group would meet and discuss about community initiatives. Then, all of us decided to stop talking and start doing the work." Girish says that the challenge will be in sustaining the saplings that have been planted.
He adds, "It is the nurturing that will be the real test for Green Dadar. We have learnt that tea powder usually thrown away after use by chaiwallas is very good for tree growth, we have now told small chaiwallas near these saplings not to throw away the chai 'pattis' and instead, use them for these plants. We will also have to see that these saplings are watered, especially after the rains."
Watch out season
It is also important, "that the saplings are not sabotaged. Though we do put a 'guard' (four bamboos and a green cloth) around the saplings, we have seen when we return to our saplings that people have tried to uproot the bamboos, they have used the space as a dustbin with rubbish," adds Girish. Tarun, Chandra and Girish do agree that eternal vigilance is the way Green Dadar can survive, "We may plant only 20 saplings, but bringing them to full growth is important," say the men. They had to combat shop owners, "many did not want trees in front of their stores. The BMC does not allow digging new tree pits. We explained to shopkeepers that they have a stake in this movement, encouraging them to help in the upkeep of saplings near their shops," sign off the businessmen, who call trees, the real VIPs amidst the political heavyweights of Dadar.
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