Taking selfies is a now craze. But, a group of youth from Sasthan village near here has been putting this craze to good use. They have been promoting planting of saplings through a scheme titled ‘Selfie with green’.
Formed about four years ago, this group, which calls itself ‘Sasthan Mitraru’, comprises 36 members.
Every year, they have been taking a social cause such as helping farmers, keeping six hamlets around Sasthan clean and so on.
Under the ‘Selfie with green’ scheme, people will have to plant a sapling in their house or neighbourhood and send a selfie taken to 8197407570 or email it to sasthan576226@gmail.com.
Those participating in the scheme will have to send three selfies or photographs. First of a barren ground, another one of the planting of sapling and third one of construction of a fence around the sapling, with a board giving the name and address of the person and the name of the sapling planted.
Vinaychandra Sasthan, team leader of ‘Sasthan Mitraru’ told The Hindu that so far they had received more than 700 selfies and photographs. “We have got some selfies and photographs from other districts also. We launched the scheme on July 1 and wanted to conclude it on July 31. There are a lot of requests to extend it by a month, so we are thinking of extending till August 31,” he said.
That’s not all. Those sending these selfies or photographs would be given prizes. “The prizes will be given depending on how the fences have been put around and other parameters,” said Prashanth, another member of ‘Sasthana Mitraru’.
In order to ensure that the saplings are taken care of properly, the group will be contacting all those who had sent selfies after six months and ask them to send selfies again of the saplings and plan to give prizes for best maintained saplings. “Selfie is only a medium. Our main intention is protection of environment,” Mr. Vinaychandra said.
Those who have participated in the scheme include K. Annamalai, Superintendent of Police, and Kabbalraj H.D., sub-inspector attached to Kota Police station.
