Gurgaon athletes stand together to combat pollution with urban forests

Gurgaon, April 19: 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, Gurgaon.

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 Gurgaon'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.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.

This is such an inspiring initiative! As a Gurgaon resident, I've really felt the impact of pollution on my morning runs. Love seeing athletes lead the charge for cleaner air 🌿💪

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Rahul S.

The Miyawaki technique is fascinating - growing 600 trees in just 2000 sq ft? That's revolutionary for space-constrained cities. Hope more corporates join this movement.

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Ananya M.

While I appreciate the effort, I wonder if these small forests can really make a dent in Gurgaon's pollution levels. We need systemic changes too - better public transport, stricter emission norms.

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Vikram P.

Hats off to Rani Maheshwari and TGSC! As a cyclist, I know how bad the air gets in winter. More power to these local heroes making a real difference 👏

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Sunita R.

The school children involvement is brilliant! Teaching the next generation to care for the environment while creating green spaces - win win! My daughter's school should participate too.

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Arjun T.

34 forests already planted in Delhi-NCR? That's impressive! Does anyone know if there's a map showing all these locations? Would love to visit one nearby.

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