In 2017, environmentalist Basit Gujjar and five of his friends embarked on a plantation drive in their neighborhood at the request of his friend, Hasan Waqas. They began by planting trees along the city’s main roads, in parks, and near hospitals.
At that time, Basit Gujjar didn’t know how much appreciation this small gesture would earn him from the local community. Just two years later, the success of this initiative inspired him to set up a small organization, which they named Green Lala Musa.
Talking to Jarida Today, Basit Gujjar said that his team initially started planting rows of trees along the divider of GT Road, hoping to make Lala Musa area of Gujrat greener. “We built a 40-foot underground water reservoir to water the trees,” he said.
He said that they later started planting trees near the two railway station gates, Ganja Gate and Dhama Gate, in order to shield people from the scorching summer sun. “We planted these trees to provide shade for those waiting when the gates are closed,” he added. He mentioned that they also planted a good number of trees at the railways headquarters and on Railway Road to improve the environment there.
“We then decided to take our initiative to parks, like the Fatima Jinnah Park,” he said. “We didn’t need any government permission to plant trees in these areas since they were public spaces and not privately owned,” he explained. “Our primary targets are roadside vacant spaces, cemeteries, colleges, and parkland.”
When asked how they protect and maintain the plants and trees, he explained, “We use a rickshaw equipped with water tanks. Our team ensures regular watering. The frequency depends on the season – during summer, we water every two days, as the roadside plants need extra moisture due to the heat from vehicles.”
Referring to the types of plants they’ve chosen, he said they had planted orange, guava, Vulcan, Ficus, and varieties. He also mentioned how the local community’s viewpoint regarding his plantation drive had changed over time, especially after witnessing the benefits. “People have begun to appreciate our work and now actively cooperate with us.”
He said he frequently sets up stalls to provide free plants to citizens so what they could also play their part in improving the environment. “It doesn’t matter if they plant those trees at home or in any public place as long as they take care of them,” he said.
“By planting trees, people are not just protecting their future generations but also doing something good for your country,” he said, urging people to get their children to plant trees so that they could build a connection with them. He said he launches the plant distribution drive every year.
“We initially give one plant to each individual. If they give us a proof of how good they have taken care of the plant, we give them five plants the next year,” he said. He also criticized those chopping off trees to use them as firewood, saying that they could fulfill their needs but at the same time plant trees as well.
“People don’t realize how many years it takes a plant to grow into a tree. They just chop it down within an hour, without considering how it would affect the environment,” he said, adding that such people should plant at least 10 saplings for each tree they cut. He also sought the government’s support in his initiative to make Gujrat one of the greenest districts of Pakistan.
“We are in urgent need of transportation equipment. With the support of the government, we can increase the scope of this drive to ensure maximum green coverage,” he said.
Rizwan Ahmad, another member of the Green Lala Musa, told Jarida Today that Pakistan’s green land has reduced to mere three percent, while it ideally should be 25 percent. He said that intense heat during the summers served as a red alert, so there was an urgent need to plant as many trees as possible.
He also outlined three key actions that need immediate attention: protecting existing trees, planting new ones in vacant areas, and maintaining the overall greenery. “Although our budget is limited at the moment, we hope to expand this work on a larger scale,” he said, adding that they had planned a large-scale tree plantation drive in Sadiqabad area of Lala Musa, where pottery-making factories release smoke into the air throughout the year.
Thanks sir for promoting the voice of green lalamusa