JOIN USA green initiative rooted in neighbourhood
Take a stroll on 100 feet road in Indiranagar and you will notice that the lower half of all the trees on this stretch has been marked with some kind of red paint.
One might be mistaken into thinking that this is the handiwork of the BBMP’s tree counting or pruning exercise. However these markings represent a noble campaign for the upkeep of these trees started by Indiranagar Rising, a voluntary citizens’ action forum of residents from the locality, on August 14.
Named the ‘Namma Bengaluru Nanna Mara’ (Our Bengaluru, My Tree), the initiative asks residents to come forward and adopt one or more trees on this road and take responsibility for its upkeep. According to the group, there are 447 trees on 100 feet road starting from Binnamangala (near Old Madras Road) till the road just before the Domlur flyover. Using Google Maps, the location of all trees have been pinpointed.
A number of instructions have been given on the group’s Facebook page asking citizens to visit the spot and choose a tree that they want to adopt, take a selfie or a picture with the tree and send the picture to the group’s mail.
“Once you adopt a tree, it’s yours to look after. Visit everyday or as often as you can and remove posters. Add plants at the base, and beautify the tree as though it is yours. Ask for help if you need it,” reads one of the instructions. The group initiated the campaign by cleaning the area around the trees two months ago.
Once a tree is adopted, the information is then uploaded on the Google maps website, along with a picture of the adopter with the tree.
Cafe adopts two trees
Saddam Hussein and Nipun work at a cafe on a stretch of this road. They have decided to adopt two trees right in front of the cafe, after being prodded by a few members of the group. As many as 25 trees were chosen within a span of two hours of the initiative being announced at around 10 pm on August 14.
“We will definitely look after the two trees and not allow anyone to stick posters or pamphlets on them. I stay in the cafe itself. So, it will be easy for me to look after them,” said Hussein. Many more have shown interest in adopting trees.
With regard to the paint, Indiranagar Rising has clarified that it is a thin coat of dilute water-based paint that is also used by the Forest Department and Indian Army for marking trees on their properties.