In our quest for a more environmentally friendly future, we embark on a nationwide plantation effort to raise environmental consciousness.
Over 75,000 trees will be planted nationwide as part of the Green Drive Project, an initiative by Auto Today and Mahindra in partnership with top automotive journalists and magazines. With the goal of planting a tree at least once every kilometre of the project’s initial 17,000 km journey across India in 24 Mahindra Scorpio-N vehicles.
The northern part of the journey travels to the Nubra Valley in Ladakh, while the southern, eastern, and western convoys go to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, Kaho Village in Arunachal Pradesh, and Lakhpat, Gujarat, respectively. We joined the Western leg of this journey.
To start this incredible journey for a great cause we had our flag off from the legendary Mahindra Kandivali plant, everybody was ushered into the plant’s conference room for the briefing about the journey ahead which helped us understand the whole mission of the “Green Drive Project”. In Attendance at the flag were all the Editors from the respective publications including our very own Editor and ICOTY member Aspi Bhatena. To quote him this Project was a great initiative that Mahinda and India Today Group have undertaken to help better the environment in this era of climate change. The Kandivali plant is one of Mahindra and Mahindra’s oldest factories, with a history of over 20 years. It made for a fitting starting point for this drive.
Our ride for this entire road trip was the New Mahindra Scorpio-N which was introduced in India a couple of months back. This D-segment SUV has been the talk of the town for quite some time now. In addition to the traditional six-slat grille with chrome inserts, the new Mahindra Scorpio-N has dual-tone alloy wheels, new LED projector headlamps, fog lights with C-shaped LED DRLs, contrast-coloured roof rails and skid plates, vertically stacked LED tail lights, an integrated spoiler, the 4Xplor logo on the boot lid, and a shark-fin antenna. The interior of the 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N is outfitted with captain chairs for the second row, an electric sunroof, dual-zone climate control, drive modes, a new touchscreen infotainment system, a Sony-sourced music system, and AdrenoX linked car technology. Seven hues, including Dazzling Silver, Deep Forest, Grand Canyon, Everest White, Napoli Black, Red Rage, and Royal Gold, are available for the Mahindra Scorpio. There are six-seat and seven-seat versions of the Mahindra Scorpio-N. The All-New Mahindra Scorpio-N, the most anticipated SUV of 2022, was ready to take us on a thrilling experiences with its commanding exterior and intelligent interior. One thing that is worth noting about the Mahindra Scorpio-N is it has the lowest CO2 emission in the segment.
After heading out from the Mahindra Kandivali plant we made our way to the tip of Mumbai, The Gateway of India, the top attraction in Mumbai, was constructed in 1924 by George Willet in recognition of King George V and Queen Mary’s visit. The Gateway of India, which is situated near the famous Taj Mahal Palace and faces the enormous Arabian Sea, is absolutely stunning. To enjoy the cool sea breeze with your family and avoid the crowds, go here in the early morning or late evening. While in Mumbai we also visited a Mahindra dealer to plant a sapling and collect a cheque as well as a saplings that we would plant at our last stop on this trip but more on that later.
Having taken in the sight of Mumbai we made swift progress for the diamond city of Surat in Gujrat. Surat, a thriving port city in Gujarat, is one of the cities in the nation that is growing the fastest. It is also the second-most populous and second-largest city in the state. Tourists, businesspeople, fans of the great outdoors, and history buffs all enjoy the city. The city is a major international trading centre for those interested in fashion, art, and diamonds. In addition to being known as the “Diamond Hub of the World,” “Embroidery Capital of India,” “Textile City of India,” “The Sun City,” and “City of Flyovers,” Surat has also garnered other honours over the years. Our halt in Surat was brief as we had to make our way to Ahmedabad our next big stop on our route. Like in Mumbai at Surat we also visited a local Mahindra dealer to plant some saplings and spread awareness about the “Green Drive Project”.
We finally made our way to Ahmedabad, or Amdavad as Gujaratis prefer to call it, which is a city that evokes images of fun and frolic, chaniya cholis in all its vibrant hues, and the flavour of gathiyas and undhiyu. It is one of the few cities in the world to have received this designation of a heritage city from UNESCO. When Ahmedabad is mentioned, the first names that come to mind are Sabarmati Ashram and Mahatma Gandhi. It is situated on the banks of the Sabarmati River and served as Bapu’s former residence as well as the focal point of the Indian liberation war. Visitors can learn about Mahatma Gandhi’s challenges and life at this location. We parked our convey on these hallowed grounds to take in the Ashram and take a moment to reflect on our project and how we are making a difference.
This entire project is being undertaken by a non-profit organisation called Sankalptaru, which will take on the task of planting over 75,000 trees and caring for them throughout their early years, and will receive donations from a number of Mahindra dealerships along the way. The timing of this project is critical given the public’s growing concern over global warming. Even as the automotive industry moves gears toward electric powertrains and more sustainable fuels, internal combustion engines are reaching their apex where they are cleaner than ever before with vehicles like the new Mahindra Scorpio-N. This programme is our way of giving back to the environment, and we encourage everyone to do their part by planting as many trees as they can.
Ahmedabad was our penultimate stop on our journey and we headed to the Little Rann of Kutch. The Little Rann of Kutch is located in the north of Gujarat, around 130 kilometres northwest of Ahmedabad. Visiting the Rann in the monsoon is quite a different experience as it shows that nature always finds a way to survive even in the harshest climates, such as the salt flats of the Rann. After exploring the salt flats for a bit we headed to Bhuj and then further on towards Lakhpat, one of India’s most western points. Despite its isolated location, the Lakhpat fort does not let down visitors who come to the Lakhpat town. The southern flank of the Lakhpat fort serves as the entrance to the town of Lakhpat, and there once stood a toll gate for those who travelled this trade route in the 18th century. With the fort as our backdrop, it made for a fitting end to our journey. We planted all of the saplings that we collect from the Mahindra dealers on the way and we would also like to encourage you as a reader to go out and plant a sapling of your own to help save the environment.
A safe planet is the greatest gift or legacy we can leave for future generations, thus Mahindra Automotive launched the #GreenDriveProject and sent its Scorpio-N to every region of India with the aim of planting up to 75,000 trees. The #GreenDriveProject seeks to increase greenery and lower overall pollution levels. In order to reduce dust pollution and spread greenery throughout the city, the mega-drive is concentrated on planting shrubs on major highway portions that see high traffic flow.
We would also like to thank the entire team at Mahindra and their dealer partners for organising and assisting us throughout this entire trip. Additionally would also like to thank the India Today Group and their team for coming up and executing this entire project
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Story by Kurt Morris
