Vidarbha Tree March for environmental awareness

Nagpur: Over 50 activists, politicians and citizens have been rallying in the streets of rural and urban areas of Vidarbha. Not for votes, they are campaigning for environment protection since about a week.
Conceptualized by Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Anil Sole, the ‘Vruksha Dindi’ (tree march) was flagged off from Anji village in Wardha on June 23 by state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Travelling through rural areas of Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Tumsar, Bhandara, Ramtek and Paradsinga, the rally reached Nagpur on Friday where the members campaigned at Hingna T-point, Bajaj Nagar, Shankar Nagar, Samvidhan Square and other areas.
The Vruksha Dindi is being organized by Sole’s NGO Green Earth Organization since last four years. “The aim was clear: To educate common man about the need to protect environment. Climate change is a global problem but it can only be fought with a local solution which is planting trees,” Sole, a former city mayor, told TOI.
Newly appointed city BJP president Pravin Datke, who appealed to all office-bearers, party workers and citizens to be a part of the campaign, said that the march was an effective way to create mass awareness. “It will be held in Nagpur for two days and will conclude at Umred,” he said.
The procession, which includes a special carriage and an audio clip, is led by a group of artists who perform street plays on issues related to conservation of green cover and water. “We target at organizing this close to the state government’s massive tree plantation drive so that citizens are motivated to step out and do their bit in boosting the green cover. We go to villages and tell people about how the groundwater level is deteriorating due to loss of greenery. The participants also plant samplings to motivate villagers to do the same,” said Ashish Wandile, secretary of the Green Earth Organization.
While Sole had earlier taken up green initiatives in the city during his tenure as a mayor, he decided to expand it to different districts after becoming MLC. “Prior to the rally, we write to municipal corporations, local bodies and NGOs, seeking their support in the campaign. Public participation is must to make the government’s ambitious target come true,” added Wandile.
As reported by TOI, about 6 crore plantations will be done in the entire division comprising of six cities as part of the state’s ambitious 33 crore plantation target.