ONGC Limited launched its “Plant Tree Save Earth” mission with a Tree sapling plantation drive –under its CSR initiative on the 22nd September 2018, to commemorate the “Swachhta Hi Seva” campaign launched by the Honorable Prime Minister of India.
ONGC launched this crucial initiative of planting tree saplings at the SMARTGRAM® Daulah School project site, being constructed for Haryana Government with financial assistance from ONGC under its CSR initiative and supporting the SMARTGRAM® initiative launched by Respected Pranab Mukherjee, Honorable Former President of India during his Presidency.

ONGC initiated its Plant Tree Save Earth mission through its partners – Indian Society of Agri Business Professionals (ISAP) and Prashak Techno Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (Prashak) which are the executing entities for construction of the School building at village Daulah using the novel Habitech-NivaraTantra natural, onsite sanitation integrated disaster resilient building technologies. ONGC planted 200 trees comprising variety of fruit, flowering and medicinal trees of which 150 trees were planted at the SMARTGRAM® School project site at village Daulah, Sohna, Gurugram and 50 trees at the recently constructed Gramalaya at village Harchandpur, Sohna, Gurugram. Both these villages were adopted under the SMARTGRAM® initiative which is now being steered by Pranab Mukherjee Foundation in collaboration with Haryana Government.

The program was chaired by the Chief Guest, Shri Munish Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram and well attended by the Sarpanch’s and panchayat members of Daulah and Harchandpur villages, senior citizens, citizens and youngsters from the villages, teachers and students from the schools in the villages, officials from ONGC and its partner organizations ISAP & Prashak and senior members from Pranab Mukherjee Foundation (PMF). On this occasion, Shri Munish Sharma spoke at length on the global warming an issue of grave concern globally and duly recognized by complimenting the efforts of ONGC and its partners in leading the way by for playing a significant role in addressing the grave issue by not only planting trees but also supporting newer Green technologies for construction of the School building.
Shri D K Kalra, General Manager, ONGC provided an insight on the Corporate Social responsibility activities and focus of the organization and complimented the enthusiasm and whole hearted support of the village residents in the School construction and tree plantation initiatives.
ISAP CEO & Co Founder Shri Sudarshan Suryawanshi gave a brief on the various initiative of ISAP with a focus towards creating sustainability in the rural communities as well as on the execution and monitoring of construction of the School building.

Dr. Krishna Wankhede from PMF provided insight on the successful continuation of all core activities by the Foundation under the SMARTGRAM® initiative launched by Respected Pranab Mukherjee during his Presidency and expressed gratitude to ONGC for their continued multiple CSR initiatives in the villages adopted under the SMARTGRAM®, to the District Administration for their whole hearted support and coordination leading to crucial successful outcomes in all core initiatives and to the village panchayats and residents for their dedication and involvement in all initiatives undertaken in the villages.

Dr. Praful Naik, Director & CEO, Prashak spoke about the novel Habitech-NivaraTantra Technology solutions, its evolution and research at the prestigious Asian Institute of Technology based in Thailand and the dedicated involvement of Prof Siddharth Jabade, Vice Chancellor, Vishwakarma University, Pune and himself as inventors to bring to reality the revolutionary, people centric inventions of sanitation and building structures. He further elaborated how Respected Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Honorable Former President of India, and Respected Smt. Omita Paul, the then Secretary to the President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee saw the immense value proposition of Habitech-NivaraTantra Sanitation and building technologies resulting in approval of its use and deployment for construction of the Technology innovations Demonstration Center at the President’s Bodyguard Estate, Dehradun which was completed in a very short span of time and at lower cost leading to its selection for use in construction of the School building in village Daulah. Dr. Naik informed the gathering about the unique features of the technology comprising of the Compacted intermeshing blocks made from local soil, how it is green and pollution free and how its structural design comprising the voids create a natural insultation leading to significant lower temperature inside the structure, lower noise penetration and a natural barrier to water seepage. He also gave an insight on the natural onsite sanitation management system to be created for the school building.

The Chief Guest along with dignitaries, panchayat members, senior residents, teachers and students’ teams were given a pot with sapling as a symbolic gesture for their resolve towards continual tree plantation. The program ended with completion of plantation of the 200 tree saplings at both the School project site and Gramalaya by the dignitaries and guests.