To foster tree plantation in the country and beat the impending climate change caused due to Global Warming, the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) is distributing plant saplings as “prasad”. The committee has also stimulated educational institutions to plant trees to mark the 550th birth anniversary year of Guru Nanak Dev.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the president of DSGMC said that the committee launched the drive to plant one lakh trees at all gurdwaras and Sikh education institutions.

Explaining the importance of the initiative, he said that the drive is to encourage the Sikh community to protect planet earth from global warming. With this initiative, he said, freshers from nine Sikh education institute will plant around 55,000 trees in a year.

Not to make planting trees as an extra burden, adding trees will be treated as their college project, and the marks obtained will reflect on the annual report card. The student will also have to submit reports highlighting the status of trees planted by them along with photographs on an annual basis.

The committee has also ordered Sikh students to install rainwater harvesting arrangments at their residences. They have asked the students to send a photograph of the rainwater harvesting system along with a report to the principal concerned.

The DSGMC will start providing free sapling of plants and trees mentioned in the Gurbani such as Ber, Neem with other species beneficial for the environment from Sikh shrines.

Sirsa said, “ About two lakh saplings of fruit-bearing tree species and those that absorb air pollutants like mango, amla, jamun, gulmohar, neem and Ber will be distributed among gurdwara devotees as ‘prasad’ to promote environment protection and a sustainable ecosystem in the national capital .”

The committee also organises afforestation drive on Gurpurab by distributing free tree saplings and conducted tree plantations in 29 education institutions by them and other places connected with Sikh religion. Through this initiative around two lakh trees were planted in the last five years.

Supreme Court has also directed planting trees as a penalty for crimes. On July 15, the top court asked a 32-year-old doctor who was accused of attempting to murder at the age of 16, to plant 100 trees over the course of next year.

Also Read: SC Orders Doctor To Plant 100 Trees For Attempting To Murder As A Juvenile In 2004