For several centuries, 80% of the land in India was covered with trees, giving out valuable oxygen, food, timber, medicines shade and shelter to mankind, birds and animals. They also helped us in the conservation of water, prevention of floods and drought and ensured the survival and protection of birds and animals.

Sadly, in this century man has destroyed most of the forests by cutting down trees indiscriminately, resulting in the sharp decline of the tree cover which is far below the optimum 33% required to maintain ecological equilibrium. The effects of deforestation are evident in the form of floods and droughts, landslides, soil-erosion, hunger, malnutrition, poverty and lack of sources of livelihood. This trend poses a serious threat to the survival of traditional and ancient flora and fauna, many of which are on the brink of extinction. The very existence of life on this earth is under threat.

The effective use of religion as a strong force in conservation activities can contribute towards halting this trend and bringing the forests back to life once again.

Tree Plantation at Sevakunj, Hardwar

Dripping Irrigation Earthen Pots

Tree Plantation Drive At Chandidevi Hills

Tree Plantation By Press Reporters At U/S

Tree Plantation By Press Reporters At U/S

Tree sapling at Mansadevi Udankhatola

THE "RELIGION AND ENVIRONMENT" MODEL

The model focuses on sensitizing the people and stirring up their religious sentiments and emotions thereby motivating them into planting trees and nurturing them with reverence, as their "KARMA" and part of their "DHARMA". The process of motivation and education is initiated through SENSITIZING WORKSHOPS for sharing excerpts from the religious scriptures, and incorporating them in the communication and visual impact publicity campaign in the form of hoardings, posters, wall paintings and brochures etc. for display at prominent location in the city as well as at the religious and educational institutions. Simultaneously, production facilities for preparing saplings in large numbers are also set up at the temples and other religious and educational institutions.

On auspicious religious festivals, saplings blessed by the temple deities are distributed as ‘PRASAD’ for pilgrims to plant them near or en-route to the temples or even take them home for planting as a blessed gift.

A summary of the programmes is given below:-

1. Cleaning, environmental pollution, organic waste, hygeine & sanitation

• Motivate temple and ashram authorities to place garbage bins near the temples, dharamsalas, ashrams and the ganga river to be progressively extended to all hotels etc.
• Motivate people to stop using plastic bags, which are polluting the earth and choking the river as well as sewage system.
• To Motivate the District Administration to impose and enforce a total ban on the use of plastic.
• Organise rag pickers for removal and collection of plastic bags and arrange re-cycling or training them on weaving plastic in to mats, durries and carry-bags.
• Motivate District Administration to set up a paper re-cycling unit and start using re-cycled paper, a positive step towards saving the trees from being cut down.
• Organise a sieving system by providing a wire mesh in the river canal to arrest all foreign material.
• Motivate the Administration to adopt and introduce a new technology of re-cycling of organic waste into bio-fertilizer.
• Construct public toilets at the temple complexes.
• Enforce law on vehicular air pollution by local and visiting vehicles.
• Design and develop a effective awareness campaign, educating the people t keep Haridwar City spotlessly clean.

2. Greening of Haridwar

• Design and develop a publicity campaign for sensitizing the general public through ‘SELF-HELP’ or ‘DO IT YOURSELF’ programmes.
• Motivate the temples and ashrams to start own plant nurseries and distribute saplings as ‘PRASAD’ on auspicious day. This is to accompanied by posters containing Sanskrit Shlokas on preservation of trees from our religious scriptures.
• Motivate educational institutions to establish plant nurseries in their campus, to plant in their schools or colleges or to take them home for planting.
• Motivate the Forest Dept to plant 20,000 trees each on the hills of Mansadevi and Chandidevi every year.
• Motivate the Forest Dept. to establish ‘Smiriti Vans’ on the hills of Mansadevi & Chandidevi, whereby pilgrims can contribute towards planting of trees in the memory of a loved one.

3. Trees for health and nutrition – The village Model

• Identify and select villages in Haridwar for educating and motivating the families to plant food bearing trees for their better health as well as supplementary income.
• Introduce solar energy concept for daily cooking as a deforestation retardation programme.
• Create a Model village for others to see the results and emulate, thereby converting programme into a "People’s Movement".

Community Development Initiatives:-

Haridwar has seen some major initiatives from Usha Breco, Besides Adoption of Environment protection themes like plantation of trees and Boycott of plastic Usha Breco also has been actively involved in community development programmes in Haridwar.

Kashipura Colony : This is a colony where the inhabitants are from economically weak and lower sects (Scheduled Castes) of the society.

Following are some initiatives taken by the company for the development of the colony.

a) To begin with a Meeting hall (Ambedkar bhawan) has been made with proper shade and seating facilities. This hall is being used for marriage functions and weekly development meeting. A computer has been installed in the hall for the children for providing them an interface with the computer world.

b) From a dirty and garbage strewn area carlier with no proper water, sanitation, sewage and road facilities today the colony has proper water facility, permanent sewage lines and pacca roads for the colony. Tube lights have been put in the colony roads. As the colony's situated alongside the railway track lot of accidents used to happen carrier but now a proper fencing (bamboo railing) has been built.