Chef Vikas Khanna turns environmentalist, conducts tree plantation drive

New Delhi, Nov 16 : Chef Vikas Khanna is not just the master of culinary excellence but also aware of his duties towards environment. And on Thursday, this Michelin-starred Chef turned into a responsible environmentalist by conducting a tree plantation drive in the city which saw participation of around 250 children.

Organsied by Tropicana, PepsiCo's flagship nutrition brand, along with NGO Smile Foundation, the "Gift A Tree" event also saw Chef Khanna unveiling his new book for children: "A Tree Named Ganga".

"We should religiously look at planting trees regularly and not just one day. This is extremely important and will help our next generation flourish. It is the biggest investment we can do. Ganga is the greatest symbol of life and so is a tree. Like the tree Ganga in my recently launched book, we need to plant more Gangas (trees) all over the country for a better tomorrow," Khanna told IANS.

During the event, Chef Khanna addressed an enthusiastic group of children from Smile Foundation; educated them about the importance of planting trees and being with nature. 

Donning his role as an author, he engaged with the children as he spoke about the importance of trees in our lives. Drawing references from his newly launched book, he encouraged them to imbibe one of the most important virtues of trees -- the virtue of giving, and made them promise to become responsible young guardians of nature.

"Children are the future of our country. With their unprejudiced minds and unique way of seeing the world, they are a powerful resource to initiate social transformation. If we sensitize them about environmental issues from an early age, they develop positive habits that will make a lifelong difference to the environment. I am thankful to PepsiCo for this wonderful initiative and look forward to taking the message forward on a larger level," Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said.