Amidst the chaos unfolding in Punjab, a local organisation is writing a tale of resilience and environmental conservation, sending a message to all. Thousands of trees have been planted by the Roundglass Foundation, run by Gurpreet Sunny Singh. Singh’s love for his region helped him make the Punjab’s villages more breathable and resilient. Describing his journey to The Better India, he says that the environmental challenges are interlinked and occur due to the loss of balance between nature and people.
He aims to bring back that balance and revive nature. The organisation has launched ‘The Billion Tree Project’ to revitalise Punjab’s green cover by introducing indigenous trees. The mission is headed by Vishal Chowla. Talking about the forestry efforts, Chowla says that initially, the villages they went to had exhausted soil, making trees essential. The founders stress the need to bring hope to the people and the beginning of the project in the Badaushi Kalan village.
The plantations of the foundation focus on native species like desi ber, phulai, dhaak, and farah. These trees are not only regional but also provide resilience against climate extremes and provide a home to the diversity of the region. Starting from one village, the project has now spread to 1,600 villages in the state of Punjab and planted 3 million trees. The plan is a culmination of environmental conservation and social responsibility as the saplings planted under the project are taken care of for over 30 months, creating employment for the people, especially women, who make up 70% of the workforce.
Gurpreet along with his team members, believes that planting is just the beginning of the process and the real work includes taking care of the saplings. The initiative makes this possible by employing youth, instilling a sense of purpose. The locals have started feeling the change in the environment.
Inderjit, a 79-year-old man from Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, said that there was a difference in the air, and how he feels happy walking amidst the forests he created by planting trees. There are more birds, and the locals also agree on cleaner air where there is only pollution. The Roundglass Foundation is a living example of how community action can deliver prominent results. People have started trusting the process after seeing the results and have become more involved. Mini forests have been created in areas where there were no nutrients in the soil.
