Let’s TOGETHER Make MUMBAI GREEN!

How a small initiative turned into a major movement!

From last many years I have been nurturing a desire to contribute something to the society but could never figure out how to accomplish this secret desire. Whenever I expressed this to my circle of friends and acquaintances, they discouraged me saying – this coming from fashion, lifestyle & travel journalist – तुमसे न हो पायेगा!

I never believed in the saying: अगर आपकी कोई इच्छा है, तो सारी कायनात उसे पूरा करने में जुट जाती है! Till Mission Green Mumbai happened in my life.

I still vividly remember my first call to Subhajit Mukherjee sometime in July 2017 few days before Change of Guard when Mr Mayur Shah was taking over as President, CREDAI – MCHI in a grand ceremony at Taj. He is a man on a mission to make Mumbai, Green, Cleaner & Skilled abode for all Mumbaikars. I had noticed him working on Link Road where he was relocating trees from the Metro route. After speaking to him, I was delighted to note that he was the same person, working for the cause of Mumbai & Mumbaikars!

It was decided to honour Mr Subhajit Mukherjee for his immense contribution towards Green Mumbai during the function. I invited Mr Mukherjee for the same and he happily obliged. He was there on time, smiling and friendly Subhajit accompanied by shy wife struck a chord immediately with all of us. & the association rolled & there was no looking back since!

In association with our Women’s wing we planted trees at various venues in Mumbai but unfortunately, I could not join this activity and I still regret that.

Then followed CREDAI – MCHI Maha Property Expo in November, where Subhajit offered to distribute free saplings to all the participants and the visitors attended the program. The initiative turned out to be super hit with visitors and Subhajit happily interacted and encouraged them to take selfies at the selfie booth. I must say, with his Green Mission, he became a star attraction.

Now, it seems that time has come for my DREAM!

Our organization CREDAI – MCHI has collaborated with Mission Green Mumbai (NGO) to plant 1 lakh trees all over Mumbai, which I am anchoring and have associated with this GREEN initiative of our organization. On Earth Day on April 22, we are undertaking tree – plantation and beach – cleaning drive at Dadar Beach where Mr Aaditya Thackeray, President – Yuva Sena will be Chief Guest. Since his confirmation, the occasion has taken the form of a movement with many celebrities like Dia Mirza and Shibani Kashyap joining in. INS Hamla lending logistic support, this is for the first time that they have lent support to any Civilian program.

Led by our President, Mr Mayur Shah, many Managing Committee Members would be planting coconut trees on the beach.

The seed of this program was germinated by our ideas man T. D.Joseph. You are invited to join the green initiative on Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day) at Dadar Beach between 8:00 am and 11:00 am.  Your efforts will have the support of other concerned leaders, organizations, NGO and media representatives who will also be present.

Let’s all work together to make Mumbai a Greener and Cleaner City.  Your presence is much needed to encourage citizens to keep beaches clean, increase the green cover and stop the use of single-use plastic products.

I am closely associated with this program, why don’t you too, whichever you want to!

मैं अकेला ही चला था जानिब-ए-मंज़िल मगर लोग साथ आते गये और कारवां बनता गया

This is for Subhajit Mukherjee! Knowing him has brought in me an attitudinal change towards our social responsibility of making Mumbai Green which we want our future generations to inherit. It is my good fortune to have known him and associating with him.

Let’s Plant Trees/Adopt a Plant Together/You are needed to do your bit for Mumbai

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

This early piece of morning is MINE, can be YOURS too!

Walk your way to good health!

I am a great proponent of “Morning Walk” but I don’t know of anyone around me, whom I have inspired by my lectures on benefits of a morning walk. Though some of my friends have started travelling inspired by my travelogues on the blog, for morning walks resistance is higher. We all know that walking is beneficial for the overall health of the being…

…I started walking some 25 years ago, without really thinking about its direct or even fringe benefits. I just liked walking, the peace, the breeze, the ideas, the mental & physical synergy, the fellow walkers…all added value to my walking regimen. I remember going with my father as a young girl, who used to walk much faster than me, but it was good fun catching him. After which it became a habit with me. Moreover, being over-weight, I always thought, walking balances it all. I remain fit, physically energetic and mentally more agile. When Baba Ramdev emerged on the scene, I added deep breathing to my regimen inspired by his Yoga Sessions.

Times changed and “Wellness” became a fad, morning walk attained new dimensions, suddenly we could see walkers in branded track pants, T-shirts and keds in all colonies/parks / jogging tracks walking briskly with mobile and earphone in tow. Conventionally, earlier morning walk was associated with old people (Subah ki Sair), who needed to pass time after retirement. With changing times, millennial generation made a morning walk fashionable. I am sure morning walk has become pan Indian phenomenon with people of all strata of society jumping the fray…old people, not so old people, young people, college students, boys & girls, ladies & gentlemen and children, the whole lot. Reasons for everyone’s walk may vary, but the objective is the same to attain mental & physical fitness. I have many fellow walkers who have been walking in the same park with me for over 15 years. Not all walk, some do yoga, some exercise, some do deep breathing, some just enjoy morning breeze, some listen to music and some are there to gossip. My reason for walking doesn’t include any of the above as it has been more of a habit and ritual with me which has benefitted me immensely. I set my day’s work during the morning walk, all creative ideas cross my mind then and fitness, that is for everybody to see. I am more energetic and creatively inspired than colleagues nearly half my age, more so hardly any medical leaves in my career. Can I ask for more?

Indeed, there are some tangible and intangible benefits of walking like: If you are diabetic, 30 minutes’ walk enables you to maintain glucose levels. It is strongly advised by all doctors. Walking combined with good sleep and a healthy diet can do away doctor in your life. You will be astonished to find out that good old walking is a single practice which could significantly benefit the whole body and mind. It’s free, easy and requires little effort. Waking up early morning and drag yourself out to the park is quite an effort though.

According to the American Heart Association, walking is no less effective than running when it comes to the prevention of heart-related disease or stroke. This activity helps avoid heart problems by lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improving blood circulation.

Walking is an aerobic exercise which increases oxygen flow in the bloodstream and helps train your lungs, as well as eliminate toxins and waste. Because of better and deeper breathing, some symptoms associated with lung disease may also be relieved.

Muscle tone and weight loss (in overweight cases) may also be achieved through walking. The practice of walking 10,000 steps a day may be counted as an actual workout in a gym, especially if you add some intervals or walking uphill. Additionally, it’s low impact and there’s no recovery time, which means no sore muscles and regrets for missing tomorrow’s workout due to being too sore the next day.

Walking can provide more joint mobility, prevent loss of bone mass, and even reduce the risk of fractures. The Arthritis Foundation recommends walking moderately at least 30 minutes a day on a regular basis to reduce pain in your joints, along with stiffness and inflammation.

Mushrooming of gyms all over the place shows that for any benefit, we are ready to pay a hefty price, but we will not value those things which are freely available to us. So set – up your alarm, sport your walking gear & get set go!

If my post inspires, even one person around me, I am happy.

Hope Reena is listening oops reading!