Employees of an automotive retail tech company, Tekion, gathered off Hebbal Lake in Bengaluru over the weekend to participate in a community initiative – urban forest creation. They planted 1,000+ saplings of various native species of plants, which will be nurtured and maintained for the next three years until they reach the canopy stage.
The company will be undertaking a series of urban forest creation programmes during the monsoon season in Bengaluru, according to a release.
Tekion Founder & CEO Jay Vijayan launched the urban forest creation initiative by planting bamboo saplings. Over 12 species of plants, including Arjuna, Myrobalan, Sea Hibiscus, Magnolia and Mahogany, were planted on a vacant land earmarked for trees near the lake. “Bengaluru’s green cover is fast reducing due to rapid urbanization, leading to heat islands. At Tekion, under our CSR programme, we address multiple impactful themes and sustainability is one of them. We have committed to taking care of these 1,000+ trees for the next three years,” said Aravind Gowda, Senior Director of Communications at Tekion.
The company partnered with the NGO Blue Dot Foundation for sapling-planting initiatives across Bengaluru. Harsha Tej, Director of Blue Dot pointed out, “We’re facing challenging times, and every resident of Bengaluru has a responsibility of protecting and expanding our green spaces. We’re building a sanctuary for local flora and fauna, a haven for urban birds and animals. In three years, this will be a thriving habitat,” emphasised Harsha.
Adding their voices to the cause, environmental advocate Samyukta Hornad, India’s trail-running icon Ashwini Ganapathy Bhat, beatboxer Vincent and Kannada rapper Gubbi, joined the employees, their hands deep in the soil. Their presence underscored the collective responsibility needed to combat the city’s environmental challenges.
