World Environment Day 2021, Delhi environmentalist says step up or ship out of planet in 10 years

Delhi environmentalist who has planted over 2 crore trees across the country, Swami Prem Parivartan a.k.a Peepal Baba has a unique solution to Delhi’s pollution. Creating urban forests in the National Capital Region could be the ultimate solution, he says.

The Delhi-based naturalist came into limelight after initiating a crusade towards increasing the tree cover across the country. During the last lockdown alone, Peepal Baba claims to have planted over 1.5 lakh trees. While speaking to The Probe, he said he has a sustainable solution to improve Delhi’s air quality, “We will have to bring 50% of the entire Delhi-NCR under green cover. I am not saying that the entire area has to be turned into a jungle. Within the 50% range, we also have children's parks, dedicated green zones, green beds, farming lands, wet lands, lakes, ponds, river bed areas that can be integrated within the green belt”.

Peepal Baba with Radha Basnet

Stressing on the urgency of the situation, Peepal Baba said that climate change is a serious issue that needs immediate redressal otherwise human life on earth will face extinction. “We only have 10 years with us. We have time till 2025, if we don’t do anything in the interim period, humans will be endangered. I don't see human life surviving after 2030,” he added.

Swami Prem Parivartan and his team have planted over 2 crore trees in 202 Districts across 18 States in India. He started the Give Me Trees Trust in 2011 after he was motivated by actor John Abraham to accelerate tree plantation across India. While he plants new trees everyday, he also keeps a tab on them. “Yes, we have audited over 2 crore trees planted by us so far. This would not have been possible without the support of the community,” he explained.

Peepal Baba with Radha Basnet

Since the inception of his movement, he claims that he has not taken funds from the Government and his mission is completely sustained through community funds and CSR sponsorships. The naturalist that he is, he did not allow us to leave without planting a few saplings ourselves.