A year ago, when 39-year-old Shubhajit Mukherjee visited a doctor, he was told that the reason for his frequent headaches and sore eyes is the city’s pollution. This startled him and he decided that Mumbai’s pollution needs to be tackled.

Much to the astonishment of friends and relatives, Mukherjee quit his 12-year-old career as a human resource personnel. He made it his mission in life to make Mumbai greener by planting saplings. This year, he planted 29,230 trees across the city with 95 percent survival ratio.

Mukherjee visited many housing societies, schools, government compounds, corporates, and convinced them to plant trees to make Mumbai green. In his attempt to reduce pollution in Mumbai, he has been urging people to plant trees and take care of them. He believes that not only planting saplings but ensuring their survival is also equally important.

Mukherjee said that his movement aims to encourage one crore Mumbaikars to adopt one plant each to guarantee the growth of one crore saplings into full grown trees. Mukherjee and his team visit housing societies, schools or grounds and plant trees after careful inspection. They ensure that volunteers visit the site monthly or quarterly, as required to take care of them and help them grow.

Mukherjee laments that the quality of soil in Mumbai has deteriorated due to construction debris. So, he teaches pit composting, with the wet waste, which is available for free in societies. "This will not only support wet waste management but also will give manure to the plants. It supports micro green farming at home," he elaborates. They also send soil experts and horticulturists to inspect the green space in societies and create the best biodiversity.