Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla has come on board for a tree plantation drive by Rotary District 3141 and The Tree Box. The drive aims to create a man-made forest on 96 acres of land in Palghar, about 100 kms from Mumbai, and will see participation from 200 professional farmers and 200 volunteers.
Juhi, who is an environmentalist and works extensively on her own farm, says what attracted her towards this initiative is that they will be planting a million native trees, and have a team of horticulture experts and farmers to take care of the saplings for a period of two years to ensure that they sustain.
“It is important that the seeds that you plant are native, otherwise farmers would need urea and fertiliser to grow them well. When I was approached, I asked them about the trees that they would be planting, and when they assured me that they all are native and would grow easily in the area, I immediately came on board,” says Juhi who has been a part of several plantation drives in the past and seen many who are doing it for the pictures.
“Over the years, I have seen many who would plant saplings, take pictures and then disappear... so the aftercare was my second concern. I have been told that besides a team of horticulture, they are working closely with Adivasis and farmers who will look after these trees and benefit from them. Also, they aim to plant a million trees every year, which is a sizable initiative and I am privileged to be a part of it,” adds Juhi.
The initiative is open for individual contribution. People can get a tree planted in their name by paying Rs 100. To sponsor a tree, visit eplantations.in