Bank of Baroda to plant 7 lakh saplings in 3 years

Mumbai: In a first of its kind, the public sector bank, Bank of Baroda, aims to plant seven lakh fruit-bearing trees on behalf of its customers over a period of three years.

The bank has announced the ‘Plant A Tree’ programme as it celebrates its 115th Foundation Day.

The move aims to contribute towards a greener and more sustainable planet and provide livelihood to small farmers.

The programme will help in preserving the environment while also augmenting the income of small farmers.

For this Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiative, Bank of Baroda has joined hands with the SankalpTaru Foundation, an NGO that is focused on ‘Planting trees for the people, by the people’.

The SankalpTaru Foundation will identify the farmers’ land, obtain their consent, and plant fruit-bearing tree saplings free of cost for the farmers on their land.

They will execute the plantation activities and look after the saplings for one year, including re-plantation if required.
Bank of Baroda Executive Director Vikramaditya Singh Khichi said, “In today’s world, with increasing urbanisation, more cars on the road and more homes being built is inescapable and inevitable.”

We have to be mindful of its harmful impact on the environment. The tree plantation movement will help us contribute to a greener tomorrow while also supplementing the income of our small farmers. As a socially responsible organisation, Bank of Baroda actively supports the key causes of environmental preservation, enriching biodiversity, and conserving nature. “

On disbursement of the auto/home loan, customers will be provided with a green tree plantation certificate that has the complete details of the tree planted on their behalf.

Each tree will also be Geo-tagged and secured by using block chain technology to avoid duplication. Customers can track their planted tree online with its exact Geo location and also view a picture of the sapling planted in their name. They are also welcome to personally visit the tree physically anytime following the Geo-location.