The craze for watching IPL is legendary. As the games progress into the second half of the IPL 2025 season, where batsmen are beginning to hit the ball from the “sweet spot” of their bats and bowlers finding their “rhythm and ideal length” – there is a new phenomena taking place!
IPL Dot Ball Tree Plantation: is purportedly turning Missed Runs into Millions of Trees. In principle an interesting concept of linking cricket’s popularity with a green cause. It is important that such initiatives are backed by reality checks – which an organization like TATA should most certainly ensure.
For starters in Kodagu, Tata Coffee could take the initiative of tree planting/regreening our depleting green cover. The aftermath and consequence of the BBTC plantation sale is altogether a separate subject matter for review. Planters should also take responsibility for improving the green cover. Equally or more importantly in Nagarhole National Park, which is also a Tiger Reserve, needs immediate attention. It can only happen as a Public Private Partnership initiative involving the Forestry Department, District Administration, organisations like Coorg Wildlife Society and with the support of the local residents. Major Resorts that are mushrooming in eco sensitive areas like Kodagu should participate in this initiative too. After all, Responsible Tourism in a area that provides such beautiful green landscapes need to be sustained.
Planting trees maybe possible, but ensuring their survival is critical for it to be a sustainable initiative. There are a few organisations that do this well – RAAH Foundation (https://raahfoundation.org/) is an example. It involves creating Sustainable Livelihood for the people involved in the project, creating Water Security for looking after the trees and all animals living in the area under regreening, Skills training and so on.
One sincerely hopes that this is more than just an IPL marketing initiative. The craze for spending or to be seen in the VIP boxes is unimaginably expensive – ₹ 40,000 to 2 Lakhs per match, excluding cost of travel and accommodation.
We viewed the number of dot balls bowled till last evening with proper explanation on this Youtube link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=gZBWu_rYp9k .
The number of dot balls bowled exceeds 3000 till last evening’s match, which translates to a humongous 1.5 million trees. At this rate, by the time this IPL season is done, our country’s green cover would have a potential addition of 3 million trees. The climate enthusiasts should be thrilled, provided the marketing claims are translated to reality and the trees are nurtured in an enduring manner.
On the face of it everything looks hunky dory – justifying extravaganzas like IPL with a soothing balm of planting trees to manage Climate Change is a somewhat difficult matter to comprehend.
Planting few millions of trees is a real challenge – doing it properly is an even bigger one! Choice of trees, managing the saplings to its full maturity, availability of water – are onerous tasks. Look at what happens on the dividers of most of our highways – the saplings are in a sorry state.
The jury is out!