Mumbai college students usher in green movement with fresh vigour

Mumbai college students have regularly been participating in tree plantation drives but lately, they have been participating in this exercise with more purpose.

On Saturday, students of Wilson Bachelor of Management Studies, Charni Road, organised a tree plantation drive by bringing together students from 40 schools and colleges. “We have requested the students to convince more people to plant more trees,” said Suryansh Varma, a student of the institute.

The National Service Scheme volunteers of Bandra’s RD National College had adopted a village outside Mumbai and for the past few years and have been planting hundreds of trees in the village.

“We realised we could plant those fruit and vegetable saplings which could survive in the village’s weather conditions and soil,” said Vijendra Shekhawat, faculty from the college.

Four years ago, the students of RD National College developed a nursery of high-yielding cashew plants at their college, which were later transported to their adopted village and planted. “The garden is maintained by the adivasis in the village. In a couple of years, they could then make a living off of the plants,” added Shekhawat.

Students of St Xavier’s College in Dhobi Talao, as part of their annual intercollegiate cultural festival Malhar, organised a tree plantation drive in the city.