Gurgaon: Amid the high-rise office buildings, towering apartment complexes and sprawling construction sites, green pockets are hard to find in Gurgaon, home to the back-office operations of some of the world's biggest companies. So the local government, private companies and citizens have banded together to plant a million trees.
Gurgaon has expanded more than 70 percent over the last decade alone as a result of the breakneck pace of construction; the million-tree plan would require setting aside almost 3,500 acres of land. The Haryana Government is providing the swaths of property.
Seventeen spots across the city have been chosen as sites for the green cover. In the first phase of the project, which started on August 4, trees are being planted at seven locations. By Septtember 10, planners predict, 60,000 will have been planted.
The varieties include Arjun, a staple in ayurvedic medicine; Palash, also known as flame of the forest; Dhau; and Seyali, known as the sandpaper raisin.
Companies and private citizens are stepping in to finance the trees and plantings. The total cost will amount to about $10 million, organizers estimate, out of which $200,000 has been pledged so far. Among those promising to contribute over the next three years are 15 multinational corporations with offices in Gurgaon, including Genpact, an offshoot of General Electric; KPMG, a consulting firm; and SAIF Partners, a private equity firm.
The saplings will have to be carefully nurtured in that period until they mature into self-sustaining trees, said Latika Thukral, a founding member of iamgurgaon, a nonprofit group that is leading this program and soliciting support from corporate partners.
"We want to plant trees that can last 70 to 100 years," restoring some of the green cover that Gurgaon has lost, she said.
Finding a water source for the trees will be a challenge because of a groundwater shortage in the city, another consequence of Gurgaon's runaway growth. The first phase coincides with the monsoon season in India, however, so a mix of rainwater and water from private suppliers is being used.
But in subsequent phases treated sewage will be the primary source of water for the trees, said Sudhir Rajpal, the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon.
If organisers manage to arrange a regular supply of treated sewage water from the treatment plants of multinationals and private apartment complexes, they will only have to rely on groundwater for about 30 percent of the trees' needs, Ms Thukral said.
Gurgaon citizens can contribute to the project by either planting trees themselves or by "adopting" a tree for a $10 charge; that will cover the upkeep of the plant for three years.
Any volunteer can plant trees at designated sites at no cost. Private builders in Gurgaon like DLF and Unitech are also contributing to the project by planting and maintaining trees on their own land that are added to the running tally.
"It's people's money that is being spent", the project needs to be transparent, Mr Rajpal said. KPMG will audit the finances.
There is no set deadline for the project's completion; the organizers said that would depend on the availability of resources. If a million trees are indeed planted, though, organizers promise that 9,645 tons of carbon dioxide will be sequestered annually by the verdant cover.
Gurgaon has expanded more than 70 percent over the last decade alone as a result of the breakneck pace of construction; the million-tree plan would require setting aside almost 3,500 acres of land. The Haryana Government is providing the swaths of property.
Seventeen spots across the city have been chosen as sites for the green cover. In the first phase of the project, which started on August 4, trees are being planted at seven locations. By Septtember 10, planners predict, 60,000 will have been planted.
The varieties include Arjun, a staple in ayurvedic medicine; Palash, also known as flame of the forest; Dhau; and Seyali, known as the sandpaper raisin.
Companies and private citizens are stepping in to finance the trees and plantings. The total cost will amount to about $10 million, organizers estimate, out of which $200,000 has been pledged so far. Among those promising to contribute over the next three years are 15 multinational corporations with offices in Gurgaon, including Genpact, an offshoot of General Electric; KPMG, a consulting firm; and SAIF Partners, a private equity firm.
The saplings will have to be carefully nurtured in that period until they mature into self-sustaining trees, said Latika Thukral, a founding member of iamgurgaon, a nonprofit group that is leading this program and soliciting support from corporate partners.
"We want to plant trees that can last 70 to 100 years," restoring some of the green cover that Gurgaon has lost, she said.
Finding a water source for the trees will be a challenge because of a groundwater shortage in the city, another consequence of Gurgaon's runaway growth. The first phase coincides with the monsoon season in India, however, so a mix of rainwater and water from private suppliers is being used.
But in subsequent phases treated sewage will be the primary source of water for the trees, said Sudhir Rajpal, the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon.
If organisers manage to arrange a regular supply of treated sewage water from the treatment plants of multinationals and private apartment complexes, they will only have to rely on groundwater for about 30 percent of the trees' needs, Ms Thukral said.
Gurgaon citizens can contribute to the project by either planting trees themselves or by "adopting" a tree for a $10 charge; that will cover the upkeep of the plant for three years.
Any volunteer can plant trees at designated sites at no cost. Private builders in Gurgaon like DLF and Unitech are also contributing to the project by planting and maintaining trees on their own land that are added to the running tally.
"It's people's money that is being spent", the project needs to be transparent, Mr Rajpal said. KPMG will audit the finances.
There is no set deadline for the project's completion; the organizers said that would depend on the availability of resources. If a million trees are indeed planted, though, organizers promise that 9,645 tons of carbon dioxide will be sequestered annually by the verdant cover.
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