Dawoodi Bohras’ ‘Trees for Travellers’ to offset carbon footprint

Mumbai: Launching its new green initiative, “Trees for Travellers”, the Dawoodi Bohras’ Fayze Husaynia Trust Bombay has planted 60 trees, one in the name of each traveller leaving for Tunisia, on Thursday, November 5. 

These trees, planted at the Oxy Park in Nagpur, are intended to offset the carbon footprint of the travellers. Spanning one acre in Nagpur, Oxy Park is a micro-forest initiative of the Dawoodi Bohra community, led by Project Rise and Burhani Foundation. So far, it has over 5,000 native trees, including the 60 trees planted in the name of the group of 60 travellers set to leave for Tunisia.

“A tree planted in a traveller’s name will clean the air, shelter birds, and give shade for generations, long after the traveller has returned home. It is our way of making sure that travellers can give something back to the earth and to the children,” said the Fayze Husaynia Trust’s president Joone Burhani.

Ammar Tyebkhan, trustee of Burhani Foundation, said that travellers receive personalised “Oxy Park Tree Adoption Certificates”. “The certificate has a QR code which will help travellers digitally track their geo-tagged trees,” said Tyebkhan.

A tree can offset emissions of each pilgrim’s journey

For perspective, a Trust official explained that a return flight from Mumbai to Tunisia, a distance of about 1,300 km, leaves a carbon footprint of roughly one tonne per passenger. Over its lifetime, a single tree can absorb about the same amount of carbon, offsetting the emissions of each pilgrim’s journey while restoring green cover and biodiversity.

“I am visiting Tunisia for the first time and have received a very important gift in the form of a tree that has been planted in my name. This is the best gift I have ever received. I will remain attached to the tree long after I have returned home from the trip,” said Mustafa Hamid, a traveller leaving for Tunisia.

Dawoodi Bohras visit holy sites in Tunisia

Tunisia has a number of heritage sites dating back to the Fatimid rule, and Dawoodi Bohras visit them out of reverence for the roots of their faith. 

Shoaib Vajhiuddin, honorary secretary and trustee, Fayze Husaynia Trust, said that the 143-year-old Fayze Husaynia Trust facilitates pilgrimages and visits to holy sites and historical places associated with the Dawoodi Bohras’ history and culture. 

“Every tree is geo-tagged, and its environmental impact is monitored through a digital tracking platform. I have adopted this tree, which has been planted in my name, and I will remember this trip because of this tree,” said nutritionist Tasneem Mufaddal Kapasi, another first-time traveller to Tunisia.

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