Have You started segregating your waste?!

Ever since the segregation of Solid Waste at source has been made mandatory, there is a state of anxiety among the citizens of Nashik. Few believes the idea is good for environment. Few didn't give it a damn. Others started segregating the waste as not doing so may invite a penalty. But soon, more & more people started segregating their waste as Nashik Municipal Corporation started collecting fine from residential as well as commercial complexes.

Why this agitation and panic faces all around? Is it that difficult to segregate the solid waste, which actually is a resource?? And that's too for our own sake & future??? Not at all!

Remember 3 years back, on 5th anniversary of Gifting Trees..., We have discussed about the amount of waste going to local dumping yard?! It is time to act on it...if You don't want get penalized. :-)

Well... Segregation of Waste is very simple to do. I have already mentioned it in my previous articles about Composting techniques. One have to store Wet Waste like Vegetables residues, discarded food, egg shells, tea powder etc in Green Container. Dry Waste like newspaper, plastic, bottles, metal scrap, old clothes & footwear etc should go into Blue container. For other Dangerous Waste like Pesticide or colour bins, Electronic waste, CFLs, Tubes, Blade & Needles etc must go into Red container. Used Sanitary napkins & Diapers can also go into the Red one.

The Corporation is working hard on spreading the awareness and necessity of segregation at source.

It is due the interest taken by Nashik Municipal Corporation in this issue, Now people are asking & enquiring about the ways to segregate and recycle waste. Isn't it a good sign?! Oh yes, IT IS..!

Yes...there are still few people, who find excuses to do it, who complains about Garbage Van workers that they carry our segregated waste into the single container. Well, that is not the reason for You to avoid the segregation. Forget about the environment, This very simple step is necessary for our future generations. It is the time to act...

Toady is 5th May! Eight years went by, and here We are celebrating the anniversary of Gifting Trees again! :) Last year, We have planted 63 saplings of native trees and am happy to tell you that majority of them are flourishing well..! 

Every Day is Environment Day!!!

A tree-lover needs no occasion for tree plantation. This 31st May, my father, Dr Prashant Phalak retired from his services. As per his wish, he wanted to plant 58 trees on his retirement. This idea was so fascinating that his office colleagues and staff also decided to volunteer for the same.

Early morning of 31/05/2017, we all with the Native saplings, reached the venue, which was a Municipal Corporation space reserved for senior citizen. Slowly people started gathering and soon, members of Senior Citizen Club joined us too. They all were inquisitive about the saplings' name and growing techniques.

So, around 63 saplings were planted by a group of 18 self-motivated tree lovers. The home grown saplings of Banyan, Peepal, Mango, Pongam tree, Jackfruit, Red Silk-Cotton tree, Arjun, Mahua, Indian Tulip, Indian Cherry, Jamun, Wild Date Palm, Curry Leaf, Indian Cork tree, Tamarind, Drumstick tree etc. were planted in the soil. We usually plant a sapling with a plastic bottle which is cut from base, obviously to facilitate the watering process. This method helps a lot in summer as you just need to pour water into the bottle and over the period of time, water slowly percolates near roots of the saplings. I have learned and adapted these new methods because We are not interested in mere Plantation. Hence we need to think about the nurturing of the saplings also. Each & every planted sapling will be looked after.

Here are the snapshots of the event...

This event inspired few of the members and they also wished to plant few Native trees. Some of them visited my small nursery where I grow my own saplings and learned some of the seed germination and plantation techniques. So astonished to see the trees we have planted so far, Dr Deshmukh and Dr Jadhav decided to plant few saplings near their office premises. My father not only donated 40 saplings to them, but happily helped them to plant the saplings on occasion of World Environment Day. What a day!

5th June is not just a tree plantation day. Let us hope & try to look after the planted saplings till next Environment Day. But as said earlier, it is very easy to plant a sapling, but a way more difficult to nurture it! Hopefully, We all will look after the saplings and see them grow into trees..! :)

The Joy of Growing Trees!

Its been seven years...
Seven years of plantation...
Seven years of nurturing...
Seven years of love for Native trees, Ecosystem and Environment... :)

When you plant a sapling, you start looking after it. You tend to admire its day-to-day growth. And one fine day...you realize that the sapling which is on the verge of becoming a tree, needs no further care. Rather the tree starts looking after your needs...as the tree starts flowering and fruiting!

Its a great great experience which can not be described in words, to see the tree planted by you, flowering in different colours; to taste its delicious fruits! And out of all, its a wonderful, joyous feeling... that no one can purchase or no one can snatch. But one can surely experience it... by planting, nurturing and growing native trees!

The trees that we had planted seven years ago, have already started flowering and fruiting. Seeds of trees like Mango, Indian Beech, Neem, Gamhar, Sita-Ashoka etc have also started producing new saplings, to be planted somewhere and flourish. :)

You might remember, on the second anniversary of Gifting Trees, we had started a segment named Tree Rescue. It was based on the fact that the saplings growing on walls or any other undesired place in urban areas, should get a fair chance to grow. In fact such saplings are capable of surviving in harsh conditions. The seeds of species like Banyan, Peepal or Cluster Fig are often dispersed by birds and one can see them growing on walls or buildings; where either their growth is limited or they are short-lived. One just need to transplant them carefully somewhere where they can flourish. You will be very pleased to know that the rescued saplings of Peepal tree are now almost 25-30 feet tall and are growing in full speed. Yes, they can be called as Trees now!

Last year, we have planted 9 native saplings. How many have you..? Want to experience the same great joyous feeling... Come, plant & dedicate native trees! And grow them..!