In a bid to restore greenery and bring back the natural beauty of Jammu’s Katra, social organisation Grow-Trees.com has launched a project called ‘Trees for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.’ With this remarkable endeavour, they hope to reverse deforestation, combat pollution, and restore the ecological stability in the valley. Read on to learn more about this initiative.
‘Trees For Shri Mata Vaishno Devi’ Initiative To Make Katra Greener
If you’re visiting Mata Vaishno Devi soon, then you’ll be happily surprised to find a clearer and greener Katra! Located in Jammu’s Reasi district, Katra is home to the revered Mata Vaishno Devi temple which sees thousands of pilgrims every day. Over the years, due to deforestation and tourism-related development, Katra has witnessed environmental degradation, soil erosion, diminished water retention, ecological imbalance, pollution, and diminished biodiversity.
To reverse this ecological instability, social organisation Grow-Trees.com has launched ‘Trees for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.’ With this initiative, they have so far planted more than 26,000 trees in Katra to expand the region’s green cover. They have planted trees like Khair, bil patri, neem, sambal, palash, tunnu, gulmohar, amla, and safeda all over the city.
The organisation strategically planted these trees. With the help of local communities, the organisation is also are ensuring long-term sustainability and care of these trees. These communities are helping with regular watering, weeding, and monitoring the planted saplings.
Talking about this initiative, Pradip Shah, the co-founder of Grow-Trees.com, said, “Katra has immense religious and ecological significance and our project ‘Trees for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi’ is an attempt to resolve some of the environmental challenges it has been facing. These include poor air quality and the ecological imbalance created by rapidly developing urban infrastructure. Targeted reforestation is now not only helping to create green spaces on degraded land but also creating a template for ecotourism that strikes the right balance between the needs of the pilgrims and the preservation of biodiversity.”
Why Is This Initiative Important For The Valley?
Lakhs of people visit the holy Vaishno Devi shrine each year. To accommodate the devotees, there are various tourism-related development projects going on around Katra. While this is great for a smooth yatra, it does have an ill impact on the environment. To overcome this issue, Grow-Trees.com came forward with the ‘Trees for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi’ initiative.
By recognising the importance of reforestation and the need to restore ecological stability in Katra, this organisation is helping make the city green again. At the same time, they are also generating employment opportunities for the locals.
Asha Rani, a local resident of Katra, spoke about this initiative and said, “Being involved in the tree plantation efforts has been incredibly rewarding for me. It’s amazing to see how our hard work can directly impact the environment. The project has also provided much-needed employment opportunities for many of us, helping to stabilise our livelihoods.”
It is amazing to see how such ideas help the environment and local communities to grow together. Share your thoughts about this initiative in the comments section!
Cover Image Courtesy: PR & Canva
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