Click to play videoSurat: A diamond trader in Surat has decided to light up the city this Diwali with a unique initiative. Industrialist Pintu Dholakia is gifting saplings to his employees as Diwali greetings.
No glossy greeting cards, but as many as 10,000 such green saplings will be used to say "Happy Diwali" to spread the green cheer.
"In Diwali, you get lot of pollution through crackers, so we thought that rather than giving the world crackers, we can give trees," said Harekrishna Exports Director Pintu Dholakia.
Surat is not the only green zone this Diwali; Saurashtra too will be soaking in the green effect. Dholakia has distributed 2 lakh saplings among his 3600 employees - most of whom are migrants spread over 434 villages of Saurashtra.
Like their boss, the employees have pledged to nurture these saplings back home during their month-long Diwali break.
"We have planned to plant 1,100 saplings in our villages," said diamond worker Anil Patel.
Dholakia is a man on serious, green mission, and so are his employees - 700 of whom have been specially trained by agricultural experts to monitor the growth of the saplings, and their bonus is a month's salary.
"We are looking to ensure that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the saplings grow up into trees," said Project Incharge Ashish Desai.
Dholakia has financed this green project with his own funds. While others will make a noise about celebrating the festival of lights, this diamond merchant from Surat will have done his bit for a greener planet.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
