Daan Utsav: 203 trees planted in Mumbai

As Many as 203 trees were planted as part of a week-long festival — Daan Utsav — which started October 2.
Daan Utsav, formerly called the Joy of Giving Week, is a volunteer-driven initiative, launched in 2009. It encourages people to donate for various causes. The festival was a joint initiative of Grow Tree — a platform dedicated to the cause of reforestation and tree plantation — and One Million Trees.

The representatives of Grow Trees conduct tree plantation drives in rural parts of the country. The agency receives funds through online contributions.  Zahabia Rajkotwala, assistant manager for Online Business and Alliance of Grow Trees, said, “We focus on planting trees for rural communities, who will benefit from the commercial use of non-timber forest produce.”

The organisation has carried out similar projects in several parts of the country, including Amravati, Yavatmal and Nimbhora in Maharashtra. The tree species they plant vary from region to region and are decided by the agency’s planting partners.

“Fruit bearing trees that provide food and shelter to birds and animals are usually planted, but in drought prone areas, drought-resistant trees… are planted and in rural areas, trees like moringa that have high nutritional value and grow quickly are planted so that the locals can earn income,” said Rajkotwala. So far, Daan Utsav has organised 21 fundraising and charitable events.