EcoSikh to plant 1million trees to mark Guru’s 550th anniv

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 12

To commemorate Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary, EcoSikh, an NGO working for environment protection, on Wednesday launched a world-wide campaign “550 Rukh Guru de Naam”.

Under the initiative, 550 trees are being planted at 1,820 locations across the globe, especially in Punjab, taking the total count to one million by the end of 2019.

“The NGO is also creating a mobile app platform to consolidate this report and it will be presented at the United Nations as a unified effort. Apart from doing charity work, we are investing in nature,” said Dr Rajwant Singh, global president, EcoSikh.

“We are inviting followers to celebrate his 550th birth anniversary in 2019 by planting 550 trees each at their respective locations in every country. The organisation is targeting to reach 1 million trees by the end of the next year,” he said.

Dr Rajwant said Rai Farid, one of the descendents of Rai Bular Bhatti (a contemporary and disciple of Guru Nanak) in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, had approached the NGO to undertake the plantation of 550 trees.

The NGO urged Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to create forest on 50-100 acres in Guru’s name at Sultanpur Lodhi or any other location which had been visited by Guru Nanak.

Supreet Kaur, EcoSikh India president, said, “Over 30 teams of 500 youths from the country as well as abroad have already started plantations under the Guru Nanak 550 campaign.” On the occasion, a handbook on tree plantation written by environmentalist Dr Balwinder Singh Lakhewali was released.