Dubai: In a bid to enthuse students about going green and to inculcate environmental awareness, the Sikh temple, or gurudwara, in Dubai undertook a record-breaking sapling-spreading mission.
In so doing, a Guinness World Record was created for the largest distribution of saplings, with 2,083 saplings distributed among school students.
The event on Sunday (March 18) was also a tip of the hat to the late UAE founder Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who championed sustainability and eco protection.
“We distributed 2,083 plants to the students of Delhi Private school, to make the children understand and appreciate the value of trees. Each tree will become like their own child, [if] they take care of the tree and it grows,” explained Surender Kandhari, Chairman of Al Dobowi Group.
As part of their Environment Conservation Programme, the pupils will look after the trees through the school term.
The plant saplings, distributed to celebrate the World Sikh Environment Day and the Sikh New Year, were handed over to the students of Delhi Private School — and will be planted within its premises in Dubai and Sharjah.
New record
Marking the record, the official adjudicator of Guinness World Records counted and inspected each and every plant sapling making sure that all these are qualified.
Each of the students was also given bar-coded identification card to ensure accurate counting with no duplication during the distribution.
After approximately three hours of distribution that started under the supervision of Guinness World Records adjudicator, Gurudwara Dubai convincingly broke the previous record and was declared the official Guinness World Records title holder of ‘Largest Distribution of Saplings’ for distributing 2,083 saplings.
Encouragement
The schools’ Managing Director, DC Kothari, said: “Encouraging students to look after saplings will ensure a lifelong habit of promoting sustainability - an imperative requirement for the future.”
At the event, government officials and diplomats also planted seeds to encourage best practices.
At the event, government officials and diplomats also planted seeds to encourage best practices.
“Students participated in a record-breaking event, which reinforces their learning that we have only one world and we must protect it,” Rashmi Nandkeolyar, Principal of DPS Dubai, said.
“We only have one earth. This is our only home. The same way that we take care of our houses, we should be concerned on preserving the environment,” said Surender Kandhari, Chairman, Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar Dubai.
Speaking on the occasion, Consul General of India to Dubai, Vipul, said: “It is very good that Gurudwara Dubai and Delhi Private School connected this with the Year of Zayed.
"The way Shaikh Zayed contributed to the consciousness about the environment in something we all have to learn with and to learn about.”
