In 886 days, city resident pedals 1.7k km to plant saplings & restore green cover

Guwahati: The gradual decline in tree cover in the city and changing climatic conditions have motivated a concerned citizen, Kaushik Guha, to venture out on his bicycle every morning and plant saplings in every nook and corner of Guwahati for the past two-and-a-half years without a break. Committed to restoring tree loss, Guha (48) has pedalled over 1,700km across the city and even to the outskirts since January 1, 2022. In the past 886 days, he has planted over 2,500 saplings.Talking to TOI on the eve of World Environment Day, Guha said the rapid destruction of trees not only in the city but all across the globe for development projects is a matter of serious concern and the effects of deforestation have been so evident in recent times. “Depleting green cover and increased pollution in recent times have been my motivation to start the plantation drive so that the lost forest cover can be compensated, if not fully then at least to a significant extent. We need development projects but not at the cost of destroying our tree covers. The govts should come up with alternative measures to compensate for felling the trees for any development projects. Every day I pedal for at least 20 km in the morning and a plant sapling or two,” added Guha, who is eyeing to make a record for the state by single handedly planting maximum number of saplings.To look after the saplings after plantation, he collaborates with local residents to water the saplings. Whenever he visits any locality on the outskirts of the city where he cannot go every day to water the saplings, Guha engages local youths to look after them, so that they can understand the need to plant saplings to build a sustainable future for all. Guha, who hails from Biswanath Chariali in Sonitpur district and works in a private firm, planted 100 saplings in various areas in the city to mark the completion of the 100th day of the drive. “While some of the trees are donated to me by people on their birthdays and special occasions, most saplings were planted with my own money. However, it is very disheartening that most of the saplings I planted at Uzan Bazar were recently destroyed for developmental works on the Brahmaputra river bank,” he said. While Guha plants fruit-bearing tree saplings the most so that they can provide fodder for birds and stray animals once they grow, he plants neem or gulmohar saplings in schools and community fields so that they can provide shade in the future.