Guj: Banas Dairy to take up tree-planting drive

Palanpur, Aug 7: After a good rainfall in Gujarat, Banas Dairy, one of the biggest dairies in the state, has made an elaborate effort to utilise the water to turn the desert green.

''The rainfall during the last couple of years has been more than what we had expected. Therefore, we have decided to utilise the golden opportunity to bring greenery in the desert land,'' said Parhi Bhatol, Chairman of the Banas Dairy, who is also the Chairman of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).

''We wish the trees should not only be planted but preserved on a sustainable basis just like a holy object. We have as many as 2.25 lakh members registered with the dairy and living in far off villages. Each member shall plant a sapling,'' he said.

''We have planned it in such a way that the members will treat the sapling as a holy object. The saplings will be taken in a procession like it is done for a holy object. The village women will perform pooja of the saplings. Amid drum beats and singing of bhajans, the saplings will be taken to respective places, where they are to be planted,'' Mr Bhatol said, adding, the holy atmosphere among the villagers will create a kind of respect for the trees.

''The dairy is planning to procure medicinal and other useful saplings which will be useful to the farmers,'' he added.

The dairy is all set to harness its vast network of 1,281 villages, comprising 2.25 lakh members, associated with it ''on a sustainable basis'' in this endeavour, said R D Kathrodia Managing Director of the Dairy.

''Even in the remotest places of the desert, we have our milk procuring centres and almost every village of the district is closely connected with the dairy through our 1,281 milk procuring centres,'' Mr Kathrodia said.

UNI