Itβs Monsoon time!Iβm sure youβre thoroughly enjoying the showers and the occasional rainbows too.This was my first time witnessing a double rainbow and was absolutely stoked upon seeing them with my own eyes!
Rains, in India, are often associated with having mouth-watering pakoras with chai and itβs perhaps one trait that we can never take out of an Indian. Chai-Pakora is a mood, and if youβre like me and not a fan of this βtraditionβ, you might get squinted on, and you may even deserve those squints because how can you not like that evergreen combo on a rainy monsoon day?!?! A personal goal that I had set for the year 2020 was, and still is, to plant 10 trees in my neighbourhood. Any 10 local trees. No biggie. So far Iβve attempted to plant 5, all during the monsoon time. It comes without saying that Monsoons are the perfect time to plant trees because Nature is in its full swing and these oxygen machines just need sowing (with a tad bit caring) and are ready to claim their ground. I started off with planting 3 mango saplings, all grown from seed in small pots, and later a jackfruit and a pomegranate. However, not pests or animals, but one day when I went on my routine watering session, I realised somebody had plucked all leaves, uprooted one of the mango saplings and left it lying beside the bed Iβd dug for it. It was heartbreaking. But I have faith in my plants that happily enjoy the rains today and I know theyβll face the test of time and grow strong and tall. Six more to plant- I already have few more mango saplings, grown from seeds, and a couple of seed bombs that I was gifted by an organization I engaged with last month. So, hopeful for that!
Trees are engineering marvels we cannot duplicate or replicate, that too cost-effectively. Not only do they provide oxygen, but also capture air pollutants, carbon dioxide, bind the earth, help keep the soil alive by maintaining an ecosystem, are homes to birds, squirrels, insects and butterflies and keep the earth cool by storing water. Time, few seeds, and a bit of motivation are all the ingredients necessary for DIY tree model in your backyard, or on the roadside, provided you safeguard it from any ill-minded Romeo who has malicious thoughts of uprooting them.
Since the beginning of the year, we all knew that Delhi would receive heavy monsoon this year, as was predicted by the Meteorological Department of India and many wished to utilize this effectively to restore the underground water, aiming to recharge it in some effective capacity at least. But we are all facing the brunt of whatβs happening around now- with cities drowning like never before. Cities that never receive more than a few millimetres of rainwater are flooding and this is screaming questions. This is Climate Change, faulty urban planning, poor policies and our recklessness that we stand submerged in rainwater today. Iβm not saying if I or you plant 10 trees each that would prevent flooding, but hey, if we start from 10 each, and are able to transform pieces of land that is βunproductiveβ today, by simply converting them into food-forests and even adopting permaculture in areas possible, we can truly change the face of our cities! Roadside plantations are also very important components in creating liveable cities as they capture pollutants and decrease the particulate matter in the atmosphere dramatically, thus curbing air pollution. Nature is the most rewarding of all, it just needs some care and grooming and over time it shall give back again. And goals always integrate into bigger and better forms, all begin small!
So, when are you going on a tree plantation spree?