Two NGOs distributed saplings among devotees and planted saplings during Eid in Jharia city in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district on Thursday.

Members of the two NGOs — Youth Concept and Green Life — distributed 35 saplings and planted over 15 fruit-bearing trees in different parts of Jharia. The members also persuaded devotees, including children, to take an oath to protect the environment by planting trees in their surroundings.

Jharkhand is India’s eighth most polluted state according to the Air Quality Life Index annual report released in June 2022.

The move in the particular city assumes significance as Jharia had topped the list of polluted towns in India among the 313 surveyed in a 2019 Greenpeace India (Airpocalypse-IV) report and Dhanbad was the second most polluted. The report found that the PM (particulate matter) 10 level in Jharia was 295 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter). The Greenpeace report predicted that Jharia’s air would have 207 µg/m3 of PM 10 even if air pollution levels were trimmed by 30 per cent by 2024.

Dhanbad followed Jharia to be the second most polluted city in the same report having PM-10 level at 264 µg/m3.

K.D. Pandey, the local representative of Congress MLA from Jharia Purnima Niraj Singh, admitted that the pollution in the coalfields in Jharia is increasing rapidly. “Air pollution in Jharia coalfield is increasing rapidly, which makes us realize that it will not be possible for the coming generations to even have pure air to breathe. Only the oxygen emitted from trees can provide us with pure air. In this context the role of such NGOs is very important,” said Pandey.

“There is a need for more city residents to plant as many trees as possible by running such campaigns. If residents cannot raise their voice in the campaign against pollution, then at least all the citizens of Jharia should work to make their environment balanced by planting one tree each,” appealed Pandey.

President of Green Life M. Sameer felt that such a programme would not only inculcate values in children but would also benefit society.

“Awareness towards environmental protection will increase in society. A large number of trees have been cut around Jharia. Pollution has made life difficult. People here are falling prey to serious diseases. There is a need to plant more trees to counter the air pollution,” said Sameer.

Both NGOs have been espousing the cause of environmental protection and had earlier this year undertaken a signature drive against air pollution and staged a demonstration in Dhanbad. They had also launched a run for clean Jharia earlier this year.

In the last few years, both NGOs have planted over a lakh trees in Jharia and Dhanbad.