A plantation drive was organized on Tuesday, May 27, at Gurudwara Chhevin Patshahi, Baramulla, by Kashmir’s top woman entrepreneur, Advocate Neetu Bali, who is the daughter of former Legislative Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir, HS Bali. The event was organized in remembrance of the martyrs who lost their lives in firing opened by Pakistan. During the event, special prayers were also conducted for India’s prosperity and our armed forces.
Speaking about her inspiration behind the event, Advocate Neetu Bali said, ‘My father was an environmentalist apart from being a lot of other things, hence, as I child, I saw him planting trees. There is a beautiful project in Jammu called Bagh-e-Bahu, and this project was conceived and executed by my father. He passed away in 2000 while he was the chairman of the legislative council, I was always inspired by my father and hence, I am an environmentalist as well, and I keep doing small plantation drives and actively raise my voice to save the chinar tree.’
‘This particular series of plantations in Srinagar was planned because I feel very perturbed by the deforestation going on in the region. The development comes at the cost of the environment, but we have to carry on with the development and cannot fall behind. I feel that we, as a society, also are responsible along with the administration. Hence, I thought of starting from places that are close to my heart. This initiative was taken at the Chhevin Patshahi Gurudwara, Baramulla, because my father was instrumental in bringing the Kar Seva people to Kashmir. Starting from Baramulla was a tribute to my ancestors, my father in particular’, said Neetu, speaking about the event.
Further, she said, ‘We also thought that we should perform an Ardaas here because this region was hit badly by Pakistani military action recently, praying for peace and prosperity in this region and in our nation, and we also prayed for the martyrs. Now, this will be a series of plantation drives that will take place all across the Union Territory. It is basically symbolic, to create awareness, and the next drive is to be conducted in Srinagar. Apart from the one that took place in Baramulla, we also organized one in Shadimarg, at the Guru Hargobind Sahab Ji Gurudwara.’
Neetu added how they have been planting rose bushes and ornamental plants across different places, and fruit trees will also be planted when the season comes. The drive would then continue in Jammu after Kashmir.
‘This is being done solely to spread the message that we could also do something as individuals, and that we need to pay heed to the depleting tree-lines, as Kashmir’s beauty lies in its nature. It is important for us to leave behind a clean and green legacy for the future generations’, asserted Neetu.
