Builders, industrialists join tree transplant drive

SURAT: For Nilesh Harivadan Choksi, owner of a printing press on Udhana-Magdalla Road, pulling down 31 mature trees of different species on his 2,500 square yard campus, was the only option left in order to take up expansion of his present facility. Now, Choksi has changed his mind after learning about tree transplant service run by a city-based NGO, Prayas.
He (Choksi) has informed the NGO that he would pay for the expenses incurred on transplantation of the 31 trees from his compound and to an open space outside his premises and in his society.
"I would have chopped all the 31 trees for expansion of my present facility and they would have ended up as firewood in some crematorium. I am happy that these trees will get a new lease of life through scientific transplantation technique," said Choksi, owner of Vijay Printing Press.
After a report in TOI on May 15, 2012 highlighting the success of tree transplantation in the diamond city, NGO Prayas has been flooded with requests from real estate developers, private plot holders, residential societies, industrial unit owners etc. to transplant around 110 mature trees that were coming in the way of development.
Darshan Desai of Prayas told TOI, "For the first time we have received request for transplanting about 110 trees from private premises in the city as well as from far away places like Bardoli, Kosamba and Palsana. Our team members would begin the massive tree transplant work in the next few days."
He said, "Not only tree transplant, we have received confirmations from real estate developers, residential societies, open plot owners etc. for using their open lands to replant the trees uprooted from other locations."
Keyur Patel, a real estate developer, has contacted the NGO from Bardoli taluka. Patel is a real estate developer and is coming up with a residential project at Bardoli. There are about 40 full-grown trees, mainly mango trees, which he wants to transplant and shift to his another site five kilometres away.
"I am really inspired by the tree transplant method. Usually, the trend is to chop the trees hindering the project. Now we have decided not to chop a single tree and we will pay all the expense incurred during transplantation," said Keyur Patel.
"I have a plot at Ichhapore and have requested Prayas members to get me grown-up neem, mango and other tree species. I am ready to help them financially as money is not a problem," said Shyam Agarwal, owner of a packaging unit.