Seldom would one see such a CSR activity undertaken on such a grand scale by a Corporate House. This is a real story of planting over 70,000 trees in just ONE HOUR - that was undertaken by Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development's (TCSRD) tree plantation drive – ‘My Greening Hour’ which saw this huge number of trees planted in over 100 locations across India within an hour on 17th of July 2023.
This nationwide activity was undertaken with the aim of creating awareness about the importance of trees for our survival, serving the local communities inclusively and, eventually, increasing carbon absorption capacity.
The initiative saw support from across geographies such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Gujarat. The activity took place between 4-5 pm, on July 12, 2023. More than 10,000 people from Tata Chemicals Limited and Rallis India Limited including the local communities and authorities enthusiastically participated in the event as they united towards a common goal of making the planet greener.
Talking about the initiative N. Kamath, Chief Manufacturing Officer and Location Head, Tata Chemicals Limited, Mithapur said, “At Tata Chemicals Limited, our focus on sustainability and serving the local communities is absolute. ‘My Greening Hour’ is a unique effort to ensure sustainable development. Trees are pivotal in ensuring ecological balance. With this initiative, we aim to address two essential goals, restoring the environment and raising awareness among the local communities about the importance of environmental preservation. The unprecedented support that poured in from all the stakeholders made this initiative a success. Planting over 70,000 trees in an hour is a remarkable feat. In Okhamandal, Gujarat, alone, we planted over 40,000 trees.”
Elaborating on the ‘My Greening Hour’ initiative, Alok Chandra, Chief-Health, Safety, Environment & CSR, Tata Chemicals Limited, said, “We believe trees are essential for mitigating climate change, enhancing biodiversity, improving air quality and providing economic and social benefits. The world around us is changing rapidly, and we must understand and acknowledge the importance of acting fast towards nature conservation and expanding our green cover. Therefore, we set ourselves a target of planting as many trees as possible in an hour and every person involved in this activity worked towards this common goal. Planting over 70,000 trees gave us all a sense of achievement and satisfaction in further taking responsibility for its survival as a part of our vision to create a reener and healthier future for our communities and the planet.”
Established in 1980, the primary aim of Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD) is to initiate and support community development programmes in and around regions where Tata Chemicals Limited facilities are located. And while each region is different in terms of geographic spread, subcultures and socio-economic requirements, TCSRD strives to protect, nurture and uplift the communities by adopting an integrated approach to development and designing region- specific need-based programmes.
