Gurugram athletes stand together to combat pollution with urban forests

Gurugram, April 19 (IANS) Gurgaon's athletic community has joined forces with the Million Miyawaki Foundation (MMF) in an initiative to tackle air pollution. Led by Ironman triathlete Rani Maheshwari, The Good Sole Club (TGSC), a collective of passionate runners, cyclists, and triathletes, collaborated with MMF to plant a dense mini-forest at Suraj School, Gurugram.

This initiative represents a tangible stride towards breathing cleaner air into a city grappling with severe pollution, directly contributing to MMF's ambitious vision of planting 10 million trees across India's ten most polluted urban centers by 2030.

Inspired by MMF's vision of uniting communities for cleaner air, Maheshwari, one of only eight Indian women to complete an Ironman, rallied TGSC to address Gurugram's severe air quality issues.

The Million Miyawaki Project, spearheaded by MMF with support from Rise Foundation, has already successfully cultivated 34 urban forests in the Delhi-NCR region. Utilizing the innovative Miyawaki technique, these compact 2000 sq ft plots rapidly grow into self-sustaining forests of 600 native trees within two years, each hosting 20-25 species.

A unique aspect of this project is the active engagement of school children. MMF partners with schools, empowering students to become environmental ambassadors. They learn firsthand how each mature mini-forest can generate enough oxygen for over 2,400 people, reduce dust, and lower local temperatures, creating vital pockets of clean air within urban environments.

MMF actively seeks the involvement of diverse communities—including groups like TGSC, schools, colleges, corporations, and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs)—to drive urban rewilding through collective action and foster a positive shift in the environmental landscape.

--IANS

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