"Thought-Provoking Message" by Environmentalist U S Moinuddin on World Environment Day 2026

 

“Trees can survive without humans, but humans cannot survive without trees." 

 - U S Moinuddin

BENGALURU: The World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5^th of June, every year. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), it is the Largest global platform for environmental public outreach, engaging millions of people across more than 150 countries to take action in protecting our planet. It is supported by many governments, non-government organizations, Business establishments, artists, actors, musicians, corporates, students from schools and colleges, teachers, and people from different walks of life.

Every year World Environment Day is hosted by a different country with a theme in which official celebrations take place. For the year 2026, the republic of Azerbaijan hosted the global celebrations in its capital Baku and the theme for this year is “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For our Future.” The World Environment Day 2026 theme focuses on learning from nature and taking immediate action to protect the climate and future generations. The campaign reminds us that nature is not separate from human life. Forests, rivers, oceans, glaciers, soil, animals, plants and clean air are all essential for survival.

Azerbaijan has made significant strides in protecting its natural heritage, including expanding national parks and reserves. It was an important host for the event because it has been active in global climate discussions. It hosted the United Nations Climate Change Conference commonly known as COP29 in 2024 and has worked on issues such as climate finance, renewable energy, biodiversity, agriculture, water and energy transition.

The Earth is already showing warning signs. Climate change is no longer a future risk; it is already affecting people and ecosystems, rising sea levels, heatwaves, melting glaciers, wildfires, extreme storms, air pollution, acid rains, plastic waste, biodiversity loss, and desertification.

 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATED AT MAGNIFIQUE PUBLIC SCHOOL

 World Environment Day was celebrated at Magnifique Public School on Kanakapura Main Road with great enthusiasm. Environmentalist and the founder of the global environment movement One Tree By One Person U S Moinuddin took the students and teachers of the school on a Tree Walk, in the lush green environment friendly campus, the participants learnt the names, physical structure, life span, their height and width, and the uses of different varieties of trees in our environment.  Some of the trees, which the participants learnt to identify were rain tree, gul mohar, sausage tree, copper pod, Pongamia pinnata commonly known as honge, kadamba, bottle brush, neem, mahogany, teak wood, silver oak, Tabebuia rosea, cannonball tree, banyan tree and peepul tree and their significance in Indian culture.

U S Moinuddin said, “Trees can survive without humans, but humans cannot survive without trees. Hence, planting trees and protecting the existing trees is very important.  We need to respect nature, reckless cutting down of trees, polluting rivers, seas and lakes with sewage, smoke from factories and the increasing number of vehicles on the road, each day, will create long term damage to the environment.” He also said, “Every citizen should work towards a cleaner and greener city, cities such as Bengaluru are continuously facing garbage crisis. With the support of the government and the active participation of the citizens in keeping the surroundings clean and green, solutions are easy to find.”

   The “tree walk” in the campus was followed by an environment  quiz to the  students, a mime with a message to protect the trees, and subsequently, saplings were planted in the campus.

As we observe 5^th June as world environment day, we must remember that protecting the environment is just not a one-day activity. It is a responsibility we carry every day, for our health, our communities, our cities and towns, for our future and the safety of our planet.

World Environment Day: Nature is providing free oxygen for our survival, plant more trees and protect our natural resources says U S Moinuddin

 

U S Moinuddin, Environmentalist, Author, Educationist, Motivational Speaker.

Bengaluru: World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5^th of June every year. The first World Environment Day was celebrated in the year 1974 at Spokane, United States of America with the theme “Only One Earth.”

In the years that followed, World Environment Day has developed as a platform to raise awareness about the problems facing the environment such as air pollution, plastic pollution, global warming, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, marine pollution. It has grown as the largest global platform for environmental public outreach, and celebrated by millions of people across the world.

U S Moinuddin

Every year, World Environment Day is hosted by a different country, with a different theme to advocate environmental causes. The host for this year is Pakistan and the theme is “Ecosystem Restoration.”

Ecosystem restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed and also, conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. You can restore an ecosystem by greening your home, planting trees in a garden, a public space, a farm, business premises, either side of the roads, a school or a college, create a tiny or big forest, cleaning up a lake, river or a beach, cleaning up a park, stopping chemical pollutants- industrial wastes or other effluents from entering rivers and lakes,   staging an online campaign to draw attention towards climate change or destruction of trees and forests; and what can be done to reverse the effect and how collectively or individually people can contribute towards protecting our ecosystem.

Environmentalist and the Founder of the Global Environment Movement One Tree by One Person, U S Moinuddin said, “Covid-19, has taught mankind the importance of oxygen for our survival. Families have struggled to get oxygen cylinders to save their near and dear ones, though willing to pay a large sum of money. Nature, is constantly providing us oxygen in abundance, absolutely free for our survival. Perhaps, this will motivate mankind to plant more trees, protect our natural resources and respect nature.”

ONE TREE BY ONE PERSON

U S Moinudin

One Tree by One Person, a revolutionary movement to make India and the world greener was introduced by Environmentalist US Moinuddin in the year 2002. The agenda of this movement is to encourage tree planting and educate the masses about the role of trees in our ecosystem.

People love trees, but most of them do not make an effort to plant them as they get engrossed in their day-to-day activities. To make tree planting more realistic and easier, U S Moinuddin began to promote the idea of “One Tree by One person,” according to which, a person is required to plant at least one sapling during their lifetime and take care of it until it grows into a big mature tree. As of 2021 the population of Bangalore is 1.27 Crore, if every resident takes an initiative of planting one sapling, then the city will have  over 1 Crore trees in addition to the trees that already exist. If every Indian takes an initiative of planting a sapling, then there would be 139 Crore trees. Likewise, if every person across the Earth plants a sapling, then there will be 7.9 billion trees in addition to the trees that already exist.

U S Moinuddin

In overcrowded cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai how does one plant so many trees? That is the usual question asked by many.”Nature gives us varieties of trees. Where there is more space you can plant a rain tree, Sausage tree, Melia Dubia, Tabebuia Rosea, Gulmohar, Peltophorum Pterocarpum(Copper Pod), Mango tree, Tamarind tree, Cannon Ball tree(Nagalinga)and other big trees, where there is less space you can plant Silver Oak, Honge, Singapore Cherry and other small and medium size trees.” Moinuddin answers

  This movement is attracting people of all age groups. Students across schools and colleges, office employees, housewives, factory workers and others have sworn to plant trees and make our environment healthy and beautiful. U S Moinuddin has been constantly meeting people and encouraging them to support this campaign where one can witness a Greener India and a Greener Earth. He has also planted a large number of saplings and also takes out rallies and distributes saplings for free.

One Tree by One Person is also inspiring people in Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Bahrain, Poland, Russia, New Zealand and America.

“Global Warming is a serious problem; the Earth is becoming warmer and warmer as a result of the toxic gases generated from the vehicles, forest fires, factories and deforestation. As a result, the Polar ice caps can melt, rising the sea levels. When the sea levels rise, islands such as Lakshadweep, Maldives, and hundreds of other islands including the Southern part of India, which is a Peninsula can get submerged under water. Planting trees can slow down the global warming process to a very large extent.” Moinuddin further states.

With the concept of One Tree by One Person, the deserts can become green, the barren lands can become productive, the temperature in the cities will decrease, and the trees will attract rain replenishing the decreasing water table. This is one campaign that will truly make the Earth a greener place to live in.

One Tree By One Person is a vision oriented Movement. It is not about a single person or a group of people taking an initiative of planting trees, but it is about every person across the Earth actively participating in tree planting as responsible citizens of the planet, for a greener and safer Earth.

    

U S Moinuddin says, we have a responsibility towards our planet

Environmentalist U S Moinuddin during the World Environment Day

BENGALURU: World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5^th of June every year. The first environment day was held in the year 1974 in Spokane, United States of America. The day raises awareness about the environmental issues global warming, marine pollution, human over-population, protection of wildlife and sustainable consumption. World environment day has become a global platform for countries to showcase environmental issues. Each year, World Environment Day has a new theme.

The theme for the 2020 World Environment Day is “Biodiversity” and the host country is Colombia.

U S Moinuddin

Colombia is one of the largest “Megadiverse” nations in the world to hold 10% of the planet's biodiversity. Since it is part of the Amazon rainforest, Colombia ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants,butterflies, freshwater fish, and amphibians.

Recent events, from Bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations across East Africa - and now, a global disease pandemic- demonstrate the interdependence of humans and the webs of life, in which they exist.

 

U S Moinuddin

Environmentalist and the Founder of the global environment movement One Tree by One Person, U S Moinuddin said, “Every human being has a responsibility towards our planet. As responsible citizens, we need to respect and protect our nature. The rivers, lakes and other water bodies need to be devoid of pollution. Air pollution has become a major contributor to many diseases and deforestation is contributing to global warming and other geological hazards.”

U S Moinuddin

Human actions, including deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats, intensified agriculture, and acceleration of climate change, have pushed nature beyond its limit.

U S MOINUDDIN SAYS TOXIC GASES FROM VEHICLES POSE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS

Environmentalist, Author, Educationist and Motivational Speaker U S Moinuddin addressing the gathering during the event Greener Earth

Bangalore:  Greener Earth, an event to encourage tree planting and showcase the adverse effects of air pollution was organized in the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One Person campus also called as Centre for Education, Environment, Culture and Human Excellence on Kanakapura Main Road. Students, staff and parents of the students from different schools, and people from various walks of life participated in the event.

Environmentalist, Author, Educationist Motivational Speaker and Founder of the Global Environment Movement One Tree by One Person, U S Moinuddin, interacted with the audience and said in his speech, “ Major cities like Bangalore are experiencing a transition which is eventually coming at the expense of the health of the people. In the year 1971 there were about 1 lakh vehicles in Bangalore, now there are more than 80 Lakh vehicles moving on the roads. Toxic gases emitted from the vehicles are considerably  responsible for lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, allergies and skin diseases.” He also highlighted the importance of planting trees and their role in slowing global warming.

A host of dignitaries from various walks of life participated in the event.

Prof R Janardhan, Pro Vice Chancellor Dayananda Sagar University said in his speech,“The initiative to ensure each citizen to plant one sapling is truly a great one. Our society should collectively encourage One Tree by One Person  to make our world a better place to live in.”

Sonia Singh, Aviation coach and Mrs.India 2018 said, “ Children need to become aware of the ill effects of air pollution, and also, when a culture is developed in which they understand about the role of trees for our survival,  they grow up into responsible adults.”

Admiring the green environment in the school campus, Ganesh Kumar, Managing Director and Founder of Sheen Sports Alliance, said in his speech, “Education and Environment go hand in hand in the campus, it is an amazing feel to learn in a campus full of trees.”

Wasantha Jayasekara cricket player and coach from Sri Lanka said, “I am a supporter of One Tree by One Person, every individual should contribute their efforts to safeguard our nature by planting trees and protecting the existing trees.”

Students from various schools performed mimes and role plays to display their concern towards making our earth greener and safer.

Swarupa Chatarjee Som, the Principal of Magnifique Public School and others too participated in the event.

ENVIRONMENTALIST U.S. MOINUDDIN INTRODUCES ONE TREE BY ONE PERSON TO THE WONDERLA STAFF

U.S. Moinuddin with the Wonderla Staff in the Wonderla Amusement Park

Bangalore: Wonderla Amusement park in Bidadi, celebrated Earth Day in their campus, with a great sense of responsibility towards a safer and greener environment.

Environmentalist, Author, Educationist and Motivational Speaker U.S. Moinuddin, interacted with the Wondela staff and explained about the global warming process and said, “ Bangalore, which was termed as the air conditioned city, is recording very high temperatures, reckless cutting of trees accompanied by the alarming growth in the vehicle numbers which are liberating toxic gases into the atmosphere are largely influencing the change in the climatic conditions.” Moinuddin further said” One Tree by One person is a very simple and practical concept; please support mother earth by planting a sapling each.”

Earth Day is an annual event, observed on April 22, to demonstrate support for environmental protection worldwide. It was first observed in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and observed in more than 193 countries each year. Earth Day aims to inspire awareness and appreciation for earth’s environment.

U.S. MOINUDDIN TAKES PARTICIPANTS ON A "GREEN WALK"

Environmentalist U.S. Moinuddin with the participants of Know Your Trees.

Bangalore: Recently, an event to identify the different varieties of trees in our surroundings was organized by One Tree by One Person in association with VFC in the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One Person Campus on Kanakapura Main Road. The Tree Walk called “Know Your Trees” attracted people from different walks of life.

  Environmentalist, Author, Educationist, Motivational Speaker U.S. Moinuddin took the participants on a journey in the lush green campus, and gave elaborate details about the Rain Tree, Banyan Tree, Gulmohar Tree, Acacia Mangium, Bursera, Varieties of Bamboos, Mahogany, Silver Oak, Peltophorum Pterocarpum, Sandal Wood, Singapore Cherry, Cannonball Tree, Honge and the Sausage Tree. The size of these trees when mature, their fruits, shape of the leaves and flowers, and the texture of the stem was explained to the participants.  

Explaining about the trees to the participants, U.S. Moinuddin said, “When people learn to identify the trees, and understand the size of these trees when fully grown, it becomes very easier for us to choose the right kind of saplings to plant, according to the availability of the space. If there is less space in front of your house, it becomes difficult to plant a Rain Tree or a Gulmohar Tree as they grow very huge, with the right information one can choose the right kind of saplings and plant accordingly.”

Rashmi Sahoo,  VFC Volunteer and SAP Consultant at Deloitte  said, “ It was a different experience for us, and the walk in the midst of nature, learning about the different varieties of trees was an effective learning for all of us.”

Shashikala,  a supporter of One Tree by One person and an active volunteer for the Indian Cancer Society said, “Though I am a farmer, and had Knowledge about some of the trees in our environment, the information which I got from the event was fabulous. I also learnt about some of the trees, which originate from Africa.  I realized that there was still so much to learn about the trees.”

                                                  

                                                                       

Gopi, fitness trainer and owner of the Body Line Gym, who had participated in the event said, “I am very happy with the activities of One Tree by One Person, I intend to promote the idea of tree planting to all my students in the gym.”

Umme Hani, a teacher in a school who had participated along with a few of her students said, “It was an unbelievable experience, I had no idea of the varieties of trees in our environment.  Learning about the Cannonball tree which is often planted near the temples, and the aromatic Bursera Tree with its dark brown stem and branches which releases a sweet fragrance when a tiny twig is plucked, was truly stunning.”

Later, the method of planting a sapling and watering techniques too were explained to the participants by the Environmentalist.

IF YOU HAVE NOT PLANTED A TREE, YOU HAVE MISSED SOMETHING WONDERFUL IN YOUR LIFE

Environmentalist U.S. Moinuddin

BANGALORE: On the 5^th of June,   World Environment Day, 2015, in Support of One Tree By One Person was celebrated with great enthusiasm in the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One Person Campus, on Kanakapura Main Road.

The green event, in a serene location, attracted a huge crowd that consisted of people of all age groups. The event was educational and entertaining.

 Environmentalist U.S. Moinuddin the Founder of the global environment movement, One Tree By One Person introduced the concept of the movement to the audience and said, “To plant a sapling and seeing it grow is a wonderful feeling. If you have not planted a tree, you have missed something wonderful in your life.”He further stated, “If space constraint is stopping you from planting a sapling near your home, there is always a possibility that you can find a place somewhere near to your office, school, college, or even your native village, where you can ask someone to take care of it, on your behalf.”

The dignitaries that attended the event consisted of fitness experts, educationists, scientists, musicians and filmmakers.

Tilotamma Shrinivasa, CTO of Peach Engineering Private Limited, introduced to the audience the use of Honge seeds as Biofuel and its utility in running engines and gensets.

Motivational Speaker for fitness and environment, Wanitha Ashok said, “It was my privilege to be at Magnifique Public School campus on the World Environment day. It was a moment of happiness to be a part of One Tree By One Person and get into history. I appreciate U.S. Moinuddin for so passionately involving in spreading the awareness about environment. Exposure to environment conservation and caring for plants should start at an early age. We have only one planet to stay in, so let’s take good care of it.”

CEO and MD of AIME Bangalore, Bilu M.V, said, “Our government should encourage all NGO’s to support One Tree By One Person. It is an amazing environment movement for a greener and better tomorrow.”

Filmmaker and MD of Foresee, Bala Gandhekar said, “One Tree By One Person is an amazing initiative, I strongly believe that every individual should take this very seriously and support the movement by plant a sapling each.”

Chairman of Aryan Education Academy, and Chief Executive Editor of Cheer Times magazine, Dr. S. Mazhar Nawaz, said, “I am very glad to be a part of One Tree by One Person. I appreciate the sincere efforts of U.S. Moinuddin for his outstanding efforts, in mobilizing and engaging the public for tree planting. I am looking forward for One Tree By One Person to reach every corner of our nation and also beyond.”

Nayeem A.R. CEO and M.D. Peach Engineering Private Limited said, “One Tree By One Person is a unique and practical concept. Together, let us join hands to make the Earth, a greener place to live in.”

 The dignitaries planted Mahogany trees during the occasion. Many students from various schools and colleges participated in the painted faces and crazy environmental costumes event. Skits were also played by a group of students giving the message of environmental conservation. One group of students enacted a play called ‘Today’s Chipko Movement.’

Rakesh Achyutha performed songs from his hit Kannada and Hindi album Rocky’s Seven Windows. The crowd enjoyed and left home with great memories.

 Professor Udipi Shrinivasa , Emeritus, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science was also present in the event.

TREE EXPLORERS CLUB: A UNIT OF ONE TREE BY ONE PERSON

 Environmentalist, Author and Educationist U.S. Moinuddin with Founder of Sustainable World Project  Richard Alexander and the Magnifique Public School Staff

Bangalore: Tree Explorers Club, which is a unit of the global environment movement One Tree by One Person, was recently launched for the students of Magnifique Public School on Kanakapura Main Road.

The idea of the club is to create awareness about different varieties of trees in our environment. Making of projects based on environmental issues, visits to the nurseries to explore the different varieties of indoor and outdoor plants, rain water harvesting, nature walks that include the studying of flora and fauna of the region, effects on the forests due to the human intervention, are some of the topics which the club intends to deal with.

Founder Secretary of Magnifique Group of Educational Institutions U.S. Moinuddin who is also an internationally known environmentalist and an author initiated the opening of the club. He Said, “There are hundreds of varieties of trees in our environment. But, most of the people are unable to identify even the commonly found trees. Hence, with this initiative we intend to create the awareness to the students from an earlier age. Further, we want the students to get emotionally connected with the trees as though they are the members of their families." Moinuddin also said that environment based clubs should be started in all the schools and colleges so that awareness about the roles of trees in our environment gets created and merciless cutting down of trees gets restricted.

The opening of Tree Explorers Club

Richard Alexander a Dutch national, who is the Founder of ‘Sustainable World Project’ and the Author of the internet book “The Young World Leader Program,” participated in the event. He said, “Tree Explorers Club is a wonderful initiative. I am sure the students are going to benefit a lot from this. This will also encourage them to be more considerate towards nature and its creations. Eventually, it will help them in becoming better human beings.”

Divyashree a student of tenth standard said, “Tree explorers club will also help us to know some of the rare varieties of trees. Learning about trees in the green campus of Magnifique Public School is going to be a beautiful experience to the students.”

Recently, as part of the initiative, students learnt about the benefits of the coconut tree and also elaborate discussions were done about the different varieties of Bamboos such as Green Bamboo, Golden Bamboo, and Buddha’s Belly.  Also, the use of Bamboo in different cultures across the world was discussed. 

"ELEMENT 14" PLANTS MELIA DUBIA SAPLINGS IN "ONE TREE BY ONE PERSON" CAMPUS

 

US Moinuddin with the Element 14 team

Bangalore:  It was a pleasant Saturday morning, and a group of employees from a leading electronics component distributor, Element 14, arrived at the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One Person campus on Kanakapura Main Road as part of a tree planting activity under the initiative called as Tree Toppers club.

The Element 14 team

 Saplings of “Melia Dubia,” the tree which is known for its fast growth and forming an effective green cover, were planted in the campus by the enthusiastic team. Suddenly, the sky darkened and the sudden burst of rain did not deter the team from completing their assignment.

The Element 14 team planting Melia Dubia saplings

 From quite some time, Element 14 has been gifting saplings to their employees during their birthdays as a gesture to go green. Environmentalist and Founder of One Tree by One Person, US Moinuddin who accompanied the team from Element 14 for the planting of saplings, said, “It is very heartening to know that many multinational companies are exhibiting a strong desire to contribute their efforts for safeguarding the environment. The team from Element 14 is enthusiastic, and they shall have all the cooperation from One Tree by One Person for their environment related initiatives.”

Note:  Melia Dubia is known as, Heb-bevu, Betta-bevu, Huch-bevu, and Thur-bevu in Kannada

ATTEMPT TO MAKE “ONE TREE BY ONE PERSON” THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MOVEMENT OF INDIA

School students in support of One Tree by One Person

Bangalore(15th August 2014): Independence Day was celebrated in great style in the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One Person campus on Kanakapura Main Road.  

 Environmentalist, Educationist and Author U.S. Moinuddin distributing saplings at the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One Campus, during the Independence Day celebrations

It was an Independence Day with a difference, in which students, teachers and Parents of the students participated in an event which gave emphasis for environment related issues. During the event, freedom from Pollution, freedom from Global Warming, freedom from Garbage were the slogans which were chanted by the students of the school.

Well-known Environmentalist, Educationist and Author, U.S. Moinuddin, unfurled the national flag and provided valuable insight to the students about the freedom struggle. Patriotic songs were sung by the students and small skits were enacted by the students depicting the freedom struggle of India.

Later, many saplings were distributed to the people present at the occasion from the “Free Tree Shop,” which is a unit of One Tree by One Person.

While distributing the saplings U.S. Moinuddin said, “Trees are a wonderful creation of nature, we need to respect them as we are dependent on them for our survival.” Further, he also said, “We are requesting school and college authorities to promote the concept of One Tree by One Person across their institutions. In the interest of safeguarding our environment, we are also trying to make One Tree by One Person as the National Environment Movement of India.”

BEO of Bangalore South Range -1, K. Prakash spoke to U.S. Moinuddin and congratulated him for his environment related initiative. He said, “One Tree by One Person is a very realistic movement. We shall extend our full support for the movement.  Also, we shall do our level best to promote it across the schools so that awareness gets created among the children from an earlier age.”

Divyashree. C, a student of tenth standard who received a Neem sapling, said, “I shall plant it in front of my house and take care of it as though it is a member of my family.”

This was one event, in which the awareness of freedom struggle and the awareness about conserving trees went hand in hand.

US MOINUDDIN EXPERIMENTS WITH TEA SAPLINGS IN BANGALORE

Tea Plants in Ooty, alluring the sight of nature lovers

A fascination which I had developed as a child to grow tea plants in Bangalore took me to the sprawling tea estates of Ooty. Here, I purchased a few tea saplings from a beautiful and luxuriant tea estate. When I returned to Bangalore after five days, I planted them in the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One Person campus on Kanakapura Main Road.   Remarkably, the saplings survived and new leaves began to sprout from the plants, in about three months the plants increased in size.

Environmentalist US Moinuddin with a tea sapling in the Magnifique Public School, One Tree by One person campus

 Creating a cool environment for the tea plants to survive proved to be a challenge. But, the shade of the trees in the surroundings with sparse sunlight penetrating through the branches provided the right atmosphere for the saplings to survive.  Manure prepared from the dead and decayed plant leaves (Humus) acted as the perfect fertilizer for the plants.  Experimenting with tea plants to make them grow  in the climate of Bangalore became an interesting venture. Watching the plants every day to discover new sprouting leaves has become a practice which I wholeheartedly enjoy.

Tea or Camellia sinensis  is an evergreen plant grown in more than 30 countries.  But the five biggest producers of tea are China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey.  After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. 

US Moinuddin at a tea plantation in Ooty

One essential requirement for the growth of the tea plant is plenty of rainfall. It is usually grown at higher altitudes. However in some tea growing countries such as Sri Lanka, tea is also grown and harvested at lower altitudes producing a different flavour and variety of tea called Ceylon Tea. Cool mornings with a light mist help the plants to shield themselves from the Sun. Too much of sunlight causes the plants to mature slowly. The temperature below 12° C and above 32° C are not favourable for the growth of tea as there is hardly any growth in the tea plant.

However, when a tea plant is left to grow wild it becomes a large tree growing to a height of 30 feet or more. But, in tea plantations the pruning and plucking keeps the plants at waist level. There is a tea tree in Yunnan province, in the South Western China, which is 800 years old with a huge sturdy trunk and stands 60 feet in height. Incredibly, it still provides good tea.

Proper cultivation requires careful elimination of weeds, systematic manuring and application of fertilizers. Shade trees are also grown among the tea bushes. They bring down the temperature, raise humidity and replace the nitrogen in the soil. There are different varieties of tea of which the most popular are Black Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, and White Tea.  All the teas come from the same plant, but it is the difference in their processing which changes its physical structure and taste. Black tea is the most popular, this goes through the full oxidation or fermentation process.

Acres of lush green tea plantations in Ooty

 Manufacturing of tea is a rather interesting process. After the leaves are plucked and collected in baskets they are bought to a roadside collection point to be weighed. Then the leaves are sent to the factory, the tea factory is usually a three to four storey building . The first stage of processing is withering which is carried out by spreading out the green leaves evenly on the racks. Here, the leaves are left for 8 to 24 hours, during which time the leaves lose moisture and become flaccid. Next, they are brought down and fed into the rolling machines. These are large metal cylinders which rotate and assist in breaking and twisting the leaves inside the rollers. This process releases the leaves natural juices and enzymes and they begin to change colour, releasing a fresh and tangy apple-like smell that so pleasantly surrounds a tea factory. They leave the rollers in warm, twisted lumps and then these are fed into coarse sieves to be cooled and broken up. The sieves, known as roll-breakers, have a shaking and filtering action. The fine, tender leaves known as first quality come through the sieve first and are removed. The remaining leaves are rerolled and again put on the roll-breakers, the process is repeated many times to produce second, third and fourth qualities.

The next stage is oxidation, more commonly known as fermentation, where the leaves absorb oxygen. In the fermentation room the different qualities are thinly spread on trays in a cool humid atmosphere.  This process which may take up to three hours gives tea its bright copper colour and also its flavour and aroma.

The drying or the firing stage follows. The leaves are put on moving trays in a large drying chamber, through which a continuous blast of hot air is forced. This takes about half an hour and stops further oxidisation, after which the tea is fit for drinking.

Almost all the tea is plucked by hand and it is a delicate and skilled operation. In most of the Asian countries, plucking is done by the nimble fingers of women and girls. It is said that the smallness, agility and patience of the feminine hands are necessary for quantity and quality plucking. In India, a skilled plucker working for eight hours in a day can harvest 32 to 36 Kilograms of tea leaves sufficient to produce about 9 Kilograms of manufactured black tea.

By heating tea leaves as soon as they are harvested, fermentation is avoided and the result is Green tea. This type of processing preserves the tea's health benefits. Green tea is largely consumed in China and Japan. Subsequently, there has been a growing demand for green tea across America and Europe as people have become more aware of its health benefits.

Oolong tea is semi oxidised and it has the characteristics of black and green tea.  Like the green tea, Oolong tea is considered to be effective in reducing cholesterol levels, treatment of digestive disorders, strengthening of immune system and formation of stronger bones.

White tea comes from the buds and leaves of the tea plant, the leaves and buds are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are minimally processed to prevent oxidation or further tea processing. The fine silvery-white hair on the unopened buds of the tea plant gives it a whitish appearance, hence it is called white tea. This tea is predominantly grown in the Fujian province of China. White tea is also well known for its detoxifying and antioxidant benefits.

India’s 1.24 Billion people are passionate about tea. With many people, the day begins with a cup of hot tea in their hand. Eventually, it energises them and makes their day beautiful.

By and large, drinking tea is one healthy habit that can keep you and your family fit and fine to face everyday challenges of life.

                                                  US Moinuddin

       Author, Environmentalist, Educationist, Motivational Speaker