Nowadays, ever increasing industrialization leading to environmental pollution is becoming serious threat. Exhausted gas and water from industries posing threat to public health is a common sight. Industrialists have to contribute to address such environmental issues. Here we look at the passion of an industrialist to plant and grow as many trees as possible.
Mr. Ramanlal Khinvasara, the director of ‘Industrial Products’ (Pimpri) is busy converting his dreams into reality. He drew his inspiration from his father’s reprimand. Once when he was travelling along with his parents on a hot sunny afternoon on the Pune Nagar road 30 years ago he had a flat tyre. There was no shed within sight where he could pull up. It was then in that scorching heat that he complained about lack of shady trees along the road, to which his father suggested to plant the trees along the roads. This incident had a lasting impression on him and has continuously acted as a motivator for planting as many trees as possible. He had developed nursery named ‘Sufalam’ on 4 acre land at Wakad. The plants in nursery includes fruit trees, flowering trees, shady trees, bonsai, varieties of bamboo and palm, indoor plants etc. looking at such a huge variety of indigenous and exotic plants one could guess about his passion. He had planted many trees around his factory also. There he distributes plant saplings at free of cost during 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. He had planted around 3-4 lakhs trees on hills of Talegaon, Katraj, Kamshet and Dehu and these trees are growing well. 5-10 % of tree plantation in Pimpri – Chinchwad MIDC area had been done by Mr. Khinvasara.
He said,”People are cutting down more and more trees every day, but they are not planted as the same rate. Tree removal for construction of roads, buildings, furniture and fuel leads to decrease in green cover and air quality. Trees are necessary for our healthy life. So plant trees in and around your houses and try to make the area green. Huge trees had been destroyed that in turn affected population of birds. Sparrows are becoming increasingly rare. Destroying trees also harms nature’s cycle. Thus to save our nature more and more trees should be planted. ”
While talking about tree plantation in an open area he gave an example of countryside houses. In villages, waste water is generally disposed in open space around house. Instead of wasting the water, varieties of trees should be planted where waste water is disposed. The disposal should be in shifting manner so that trees would cover all the open space around house. These trees would supply food, fuel, furniture and give shade too. This would also help in raining. If villagers apply this method, it would be a solution for draught condition.
For such an amazing work of tree plantation, he had been awarded the Vruksha Mitra award at various public functions by eminent personalities such as, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, Dr. Mashelkar, Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, PCMC and Rotary club of Pimpri to name a few.
