IRS officer Rohit Mehra and his wife Geetanjali Mehra run an organization where they run tree hospitals and ambulances. In efforts to make the environment greener, Rohit Mehra has managed to bring back more than 450 forests and has installed 750 vertical gardens in the local areas.
New Delhi: Punjab’s Rohit Mehra has introduced ‘Tree and Plant Hospitals’ and ‘Tree Ambulance’ in his city. The concept of tree ambulances would sound unsettling to readers as it is something unheard of. In efforts to make the environment greener, Rohit Mehra has managed to bring back more than 450 forests and has installed 750 vertical gardens in the local areas. Let’s delve deeper into Rohit Mehra and his wife Geetanjali Mehra’s journey to making this planet a better place to live.
Who is Rohit Mehra?
Rohit Mehra was born in Amritsar and completed his education from DAV College Hathi Gate. He appeared for UPSC exams and clearing them successfully he got appointed as an IRS officer in the Income Tax Department in Delhi.
Since childhood, Rohit Mehra had a keen interest in gardening. He pursued it as a hobby and never thought that this would turn into his passion. Once due to excessive pollution, schools were shut down in Ludhiana, Punjab. He was working as an IRS, and this incident made him think about his school life. What he realized about the nearing future, was the disturbing thought that the future generations would not be able to enjoy their school lives as much as he did.
Forests in 10 cities
Rohit Mehra felt inspired to take an action against the degrading environment. In the year 2015, he firmed upon the idea of planting one lakh tress in his lifetime. He started this initiative by installing a vertical garden at Ludhiana Railway Station. Today, he has created forests in cities like Batala, Amritsar, Sangrur, Dhyanpur, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar, and the work has expanded to states like Jammu, Maharashtra, UP, Uttarakhand, Gujarat.
Vrikshayurveda forests
Rohit Mehra has created 450 forests, varying in size from half an acre to 12 acres. Geetanjali actively participates in promoting the establishment of forests using the Vriksha Ayurveda technique. Rohit emphasizes the alignment of trees with five elements, conducting water checks, and determining optimal water distribution, and considering planting temperatures.
All these efforts have been successfully carried out over the last 8 to 9 years. 30 forests have been created in Delhi alone. There are plans to expand this environmental project on a larger scale in the near future.
For the greater good
Rohit Mehra is especially popular for his concept of tree hospitals and ambulances. This healthcare facilities for plants were inspired by the idea of contributing his bit to protect the environment. He and his team has identified 33 types of plant related issues, emphasizing the importance of healthy soil for overall plant health.
The hospital staffed by botanists and volunteers, provides free services, including an ambulance in Amritsar converted from an e-rickshaw. Rohit Mehra’s organization also runs a helpline number to assist people with various plant related problems. This unique concept is referred to as plant parenting.
Vertical gardening
The vertical gardens are created using the old plastic bottles. This not only ensures an efficient way to reuse plastic but also helps in creating the gardens in an organized way. Almost 750 vertical gardens have been created using 75 to 80 tonnes of plastic bottles. Panchvati plants like Peepal, Bel, Vat, Amla, and Ashoka are planted in the forests to incorporate healthy varieties of plants. Large, medium-sized, and indigenous fruit plants like Jamun, Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Giloy are planted after ensuring healthy conditions for them.
Within 8 to 9 months, these forests develop, effectively absorbing pollution from the surroundings. Notably, Rohit Mehra holds s record under Limca Book of Records for constructing the country’s largest vertical garden.
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