Inspiring story: Meerut-based doctors advice patients to plant saplings

Meerut, April 27: At a time when some parts of the nation are reeling under intense heatwave, drought and water scarcity, two doctors in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh have started a good deed for the betterment of the environment.

Doctors are often regarded as angels sent by God to treat people suffering from various diseases and for those who need immediate medical attention. In Meerut, two doctors not only save lives of their patients, but they also make sure that at the same time, mother earth is also healed.

Apart from curing patients, they ask patients to plant a sapling, as they get a new life, after coming out from their ailments.

The inspiring story is about two Meerut-based doctor friends-- Dr Anurag Mittal (physician) and Dinesh Bansal (surgeon), who practice at a private hospital in Baraut.

Before discharging their patients, both doctors advise them to "plant a sapling and nurture it".

With this wonderful advice, the duo have been able to get 6,000 saplings planted in last eight months in Baghpat district in western Uttar Pradesh.

With their noble initiative, they are invited as speakers to speak on environment conservation.

While talking to TOI, Dr Bansal said that their aim is to cover entire Baghpat with the greenery it was once famous for.

He was quoted saying as, "It is only our passion to give back to nature. Survival depends on nature; unfortunately we humans are its biggest destroyers. Keeping this in mind, we started distributing saplings during OPD hours eight months ago."

Their move in not a mere tokenism of doing good work, They make sure that the saplings patients planted are being nurtured properly.

"What good is a plantation drive if a plant does not survive? It needs to be nurtured like one's own child. It requires patience and proper treatment for the first few years, at least," Dr Bansal further said.

When a tree turns 1-year-old, they also motivate their custodians to celebrate their birthday!

To take their greenery initiative one step ahead, the doctors even started an NGO-- "Harit Pran Trust" and made sure 98% of their plants survived.

Plant a Tree, Plant a New Life... We will do it for You, is a Harit Pran initiative to save the environment through tree plantation and adoption by public and corporate participation and support where people can plant, gift, donate and adopt trees online in just one click from their home/office on different occasions and celebrations.

They have also planted 200 tress in madarsas.

OneIndia News