Not long ago, Rita Pravinbhai Sutri, 53, would sigh at the view from her window in Vadodara’s Karelibaugh. Her gaze would land on a patchwork of dust and decay — barren land stretching endlessly, lifeless and uninspiring. “It was dull, dry, and disheartening,” she recalls. Her afternoons were spent staring out into nothingness.
But today, Rita finds herself reaching for her walking shoes instead.
Outside her home, a lush forest now rustles in the wind, cool air weaving through a vibrant canopy of green. Thanks to the Ahmedabad-based CATCH Foundation, a once-barren tract of land has been transformed into a thriving ecosystem — a living, breathing forest in the middle of the city.
The Forest That Changed a Neighbourhood
Karelibaugh is just one of the many urban neighborhoods touched by the CATCH Foundation’s vision — a green revolution rising from the dust.
“I never thought I’d look forward to summer evenings outdoors,” Rita smiles. “Now, I go for walks, meet neighbours under the trees, or just sit near the greenery. This forest has given our community a new life.”
And Rita is not alone. Across cities in India — from Vadodara to Gurugram — barren, degraded lands are being resurrected into biodiverse forests, thanks to a model that is as scientific as it is soulful.
The Roots of a Green Revolution
Founded by Bharat Sisodia, CATCH Foundation began in 2014 with modest city cleanliness drives. Today, it has grown into a pioneering reforestation movement, reintegrating forests into the urban map of India. Its secret weapon? A localized, turbocharged version of the Miyawaki method — a Japanese technique for creating dense, native forests in small spaces.
“We customised the Miyawaki technique to suit Indian conditions,” Bharat explains. “It’s not just about planting trees. It’s about building an ecosystem.”
And it’s not just about planting and forgetting. Each forest is nurtured for three full years, ensuring it becomes self-sustaining — an investment in green permanence.
From Quarry to Quiet: Healing the Aravallis
Step into the NSG (National Security Guard) campus in Manesar, Gurugram, and you’ll feel it before you see it — a marked dip in temperature, a softness in the air. It’s the result of over 70,000 trees planted by CATCH Foundation on degraded land hugging the Aravalli range.
“It’s 4°C cooler inside the forest zone,” notes Group Commander Jagdish Prasad Maithani. “There’s less dust, healthier soil, and we’re even seeing the return of native birds and insects.”
But it’s not just the ecosystem that’s reviving — local communities are thriving too. The forest-building process creates employment opportunities, especially for marginalised groups, in nursery work, planting, and upkeep.
The Science of Urban Rewilding
Creating a forest is no random act of planting. CATCH Foundation’s approach is strategic, detailed, and beautifully grounded in science.
Here’s how they do it:
- Site Selection & Soil Testing: Areas ravaged by mining or construction are scouted. Soil is tested for quality and water retention.
- Legal Permissions & Documentation: A land letter is acquired, allowing CATCH to lease and legally work on the land.
- Preparation & Protection: Borewells are dug, fences erected, and land excavated using natural inputs like cow dung and rice husk for nourishment.
- Layered Planting: Species are selected by height and ecological role — from shrubs to towering canopy trees, like dhau, dhak, and salai.
- Community Integration: Locals are trained and employed, from planting to long-term forest care.
- Tech-Driven Transparency: A dedicated mobile app allows all stakeholders to monitor growth, health, and interventions in real time.
Every forest goes through rigorous weed management, biodiversity tracking, and solar integration, ensuring it’s both sustainable and self-reliant.
Vadodara’s Forest Future
In Vadodara’s Harni region, a collaboration between L&T and CATCH Foundation has resulted in the plantation of 50,000 trees. And the transformation, says Pritesh Shah, who leads CSR initiatives at L&T Energy Hydrocarbon, has been nothing short of miraculous.
“Some of these forests are already mature and self-sustaining within just two years,” he shares. “They’ve drawn biodiversity, improved microclimates, and inspired people to think greener.”
He adds that this model proves something powerful: urbanisation and ecology don’t have to be at odds. With thoughtful planning, they can coexist — even complement each other.
A Forest for the Future
As India faces the looming challenges of climate change, pollution, and relentless urban expansion, efforts like CATCH’s are not just restorative — they’re revolutionary. With over 104 forests planted across the country, the foundation is seeding a new vision: cities where birdsong returns, where summers are bearable, and where development doesn’t cost us our environment.
These forests are not parks or plantations. They are resilient ecosystems, each tree a sentinel of a greener future.
Final Thoughts: Greening the Concrete Jungle
Back in Karelibaugh, Rita now finds herself waving at her neighbours from under the trees, chatting about birds she never used to see, or just soaking in the scent of soil after the rain. “We used to live around dust,” she says, “but now we live around life.”
And that’s the essence of what CATCH Foundation is doing — turning dust into life, plot by plot, tree by tree.
Because in a world that’s rapidly warming, every forest planted is not just an act of hope. It’s an act of survival.