Homes In the City (HIC) is a collective of nonprofits, working to make the city of Bhuj, Gujarat, a more inclusive, just and ecologically sustainable city for all. This program has been working on conserving and enhancing biodiversity in Bhuj over the past one and a half decades. As part of these efforts a book called Trees of Bhuj, was published on 25^th March 2025. This book was written by Dr. Pankaj Joshi, Botanist and Researcher, and Dr. Ekta Joshi, Faculty, Lalan College, Bhuj-Kutch. On the same day, a web portal (treesofbhuj.in) was also launched, providing detailed information on all the trees documented in the book.

Bhuj, a semi-dryland region rich in biodiversity, has a vast tree population that plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. To enhance environmental awareness and sustainable urban planning, a mobile application has been developed to map and manage tree data effectively.

This initiative involves training college students to use the mobile application for collecting, analyzing, and utilizing tree data. The database currently includes more than 40,000 trees, comprising 127 species of small and large trees. The application enables students to record essential parameters such as species diversity, tree density, and spatial distribution, aiding in strategic plantation planning.

By leveraging technology, this initiative also aims to engage students, support environmental conservation, and contribute to Bhuj’s urban greening and climate adaptation strategies.

Key Benefits of the Initiative

1. Species-wise Height & Girth
   • Measurement of tree height and girth helps in understanding growth patterns, carbon sequestration potential, and urban forest health.
   • These metrics aid in assessing species adaptation and survival rates in urban and semi-arid environments like Bhuj.
2. Medicinal & Ecological Importance
   • Several tree species have traditional medicinal uses, contributing to local herbal medicine practices. This knowledge has also been documented with help from local traditional medicine practitioners.
   • Trees play a critical role in soil conservation, air purification, and temperature regulation, improving urban resilience.
3. Biodiversity Support (Nesting & Roosting Sites)
   • Many trees act as natural habitats for birds, insects, and mammals, supporting local biodiversity.
   • Mapping these sites helps in the protection of key wildlife species and guides conservation efforts.
4. Conservation of Historic & Old Trees
   • Bhuj has several historically significant trees that need protection due to their cultural, ecological, and environmental value.
   • Conservation efforts focus on disease management, structural stability, and awareness programs to safeguard these trees.
5. Candidates Plus Trees (CPT) for Seed Collection
   • Selection of high-quality trees based on genetic superiority for seed collection and propagation.
   • The collected seeds will be used by the Forest Department for afforestation and ecological restoration projects in other urban landscapes.

Using data from the mobile application, a three-tier plantation initiative has been implemented in Bhuj’s urban landscape at the household, society, and ward levels. The selected plant species align with the dominant flora of respective areas, prioritizing native species to support biodiversity and balance the ecological food web.

Over the past two years, more than 55 plant species have been selected, and over 7,000 saplings have been planted with a survival rate exceeding 90% across two clusters. In addition, dried saplings have been replaced through seed sowing to maintain the density of native species, particularly in rocky and saline patches.

The plantation drives have been largely supported by private donors, covering approximately 80% of the expenses, including sapling maintenance at multiple sites. HIC has played a critical role in identifying sites, mobilizing citizens, and providing partial financial support to initiate the work.

Several costs associated with the plantation drives—such as land leveling, drip irrigation networks, water tanks and pipelines, labor, supervision, and monitoring—have been covered by private donors. Government departments, such as the Social Forestry team, have provided native and subsidized saplings, while the Bhuj Municipality has supported the initiative by supplying piped water connections and benches, helping transform wastelands into public spaces.

“It is expected that ward-wise action plans that highlight existing rich areas and potential areas for future plantations will help the ward committees and Bhuj Municipality to have plantation drives andand selecting appropriate plant species for specific locations.”, said Aseem Mishra, Programme Director, HIC. 

Dr. Pankaj Joshi said, “Conocorpus was found as the second-largest species after neem trees which alarms all of us. There is a need to replace Conocorpus with native species for the sake of conserving biodiversity and human health.”

Trees of Bhuj documented several plant species having medicinal properties such as Tecomella undulata (Ragat Rohido), Derris indica (Karanj),  Bauhinia racemosa (Ashitro),  Terminalia arjuna (Arjun Sadad),  Vitex negundo (Nagod),  Cordia gharaf (Gundi- Liyar),  Sapindus emarginatus (Aritha), Limonia acidissima (Kothi),  Gmelina arborea (Sevan). This documentation will serve as a valuable reference for citizens and donors supporting plantation drives. 

Websites: 

Trees of Bhuj (book):  https://homesinthecity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Trees_of_Bhuj-compressed.pdf 

Trees of Bhuj (web portal): http://treesofbhuj.in/ 

A version of this was first published in Down to Earth on 03 April, 2025.