The Bangalore-based NGO, SayTrees, is encouraging cities to make green spaces a priority
As published in Nature inFocus on 05 January 2021
Did you know that Bangalore city’s foundation was laid by Kempe Gowda, way back in 1537? A chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, he envisioned a futuristic city with towns, market places, gardens and residential areas. In many ways, Kempe Gowda’s vision for Bangalore has come true, and the city continues to be a destination that embodies the future. But, were he to walk the land today, would he be pleased to see all the infrastructural development around him or would he wonder about the missing gardens and lakes that were a crucial part of his vision for the city?
It doesn’t take a ruler from the past to remind us that our cities are no longer the green havens they once were. In 2017, scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, used satellite imagery and remote sensing to visually represent the alarming rate at which Bangalore is losing its green cover. Red spots (signifying built-up area) covered the satellite-rendered map as the green spots (signifying vegetation) receded into oblivion. Between 1973 and 2017, Bangalore had lost 88 per cent of its vegetation and 79 per cent of its wetlands.
While the percentages hit you harder, anyone who has walked through the streets of the Garden City of India would share the same sentiment – trees are quickly disappearing to make way for more of the concrete jungle. Most of us would shrug at the realisation, it is not like we can do much about it, right? Kapil Sharma disagrees. From planting saplings on Bangalore roadsides to building an organisation and gaining the support of 7000+ volunteers, Kapil Sharma is the Founder & Director of Bangalore-based NGO SayTrees. Today, SayTrees is one of the most sought organisations when people want to make a difference by adding more greenery to their cities and villages.
Durgesh Agrahari, Head of Programs and Partnerships at SayTrees, gave us a sneak peek of what the green army has been up to.
Read the full story here.