“Give up a cup of coffee once a month and contribute to protect trees”: this is not just a slogan but an ongoing successful campaign in Vidyanagar locality in Ballari city since a year now.
Nearly 600 trees have been planted in three parks and also on the streets in the locality and they are being watered making use of the cost of one cup of coffee donated by residents.
“We participate in mass tree plantation in a big way organised by the Department of Forests. After that, the follow-up work — watering and protecting the plants — for about a year is ignored expecting the department to do it. On July 1, 2016, 600 trees — Neem, ficus variety, Amla, Honge, among others — were planted.
“Later, to ensure that the plants grow, we thought of forming a group called ‘Vriksha Mitra’ to nurture the plants for about a year by watering them.
“For the purpose, we floated an idea of asking residents to give up a cup of coffee once a month and contribute the money thus saved towards the cause. It clicked.
“As a result, each plant has been watered once in 10 days for the past one year,” Anish, a medical student, who is also instrumental in forming the group, told The Hindu .
According to him, some of the members in the group volunteer to collect the amount. The group has also tied up with the people supplying water through tankers to provide water at 50 % subsidy for the cause. The tankers arrive on the fixed days and volunteers would be willing to take off some time to water the plants. Even children are encouraged to water the plants in front of their schools so as to groom them to protect trees and nature.
