Ek Titli and its green crusaders are bent on changing the world and making it a healthy place

People say that if there are ‘idiots’ crazy enough to think they can change the world, they probably will. Vaibhav Dugar is one such ‘idiot’ who has set out to change the world through his green revolution—Ek Titli. Through this venture, his team and Dugar are raising environmental concerns and spreading awareness about organic farming which they see as a cure and part of the larger vision of ‘keeping this planet green and sustainable’. Dugar was still in college—finishing his BTech—when the idea of Ek Titli struck him. In those days, it was just an awareness campaign. A group of college kids would roam the streets of Pune talking to people about the environment and distributing seeds and saplings to them. After finishing college in 2007, Dugar moved to Mumbai and took up a job with NDTV Movies as their marketing executive. It was here that he met some, “Inspiring people who were doing some amazing things.” Dugar and his friend Bhavik Kaul (co-founder of Ek Titli who has now moved on) would often discuss environmental issues and talk about the probable solutions. “We were not the ones who would just sit and crib about things,” says Dugar, who along with Bhavik, quit their cushy jobs at NDTV to start the organisation called Ek Titli. It was not a difficult decision to make. “I had to take a call and I did so,” admits Dugar. The idea was simple, and needless to add, effective. Just like home-cooked food is tastier and healthier that the one served in restaurants, home-grown veggies and fruits—not doused in chemical fertilisers— are also tastier and healthier than what you get in the market. There is no denying the fact that over use of fertilisers kills the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables we consume. And this is why Ek Titli has become one of the successful, independent NGOs of India. Its aim is to change the way India—and finally the world—eats. Instead of just talking about the ever rising temperature, bring about a change, plant a tree or a shrub in your home. Whatever little space there is in the house, turn it into a farm, they say. And Ek Titli will help you to do it, for a minimum price which covers the cost of the saplings that they buy. Before starting the organisation, the duo forced respective parents to spend gift money to buy seeds and saplings. Now they are making others do the same and turning terraces, gardens and smaller balconies into farms. Along with this, Ek Titli also organises workshops from time-totime to educate people about the evils of pesticides and teaches them how to start an organic farm. That is not all—the Ek Titli portal is a one stop spot for eco-bloggers. Dugar once met a man who had built a wind mill and was providing electricity to around 100 homes. After meeting him he felt that his story needed to be told. “And why just his, there were many others relentlessly working towards the cause of the environment. For them we got this portal,” informs Dugar. Today, people share or swap stories on the website. Currently Ek Titli has received even greater prominence; once India started to look at organic food as the new sexy. It is happening and healthy, and this seems to work well for Dugar, whose biggest challenge was battling people’s perception when he first started. “I can plant a tree in your garden. I can take care of it. But I can not guarantee that the tomatoes will grow to the size you want them to.” Though he still struggles with perceptions, he also sympathises with his clients’ concerns. “I understand that there is a cost involved but then it is a small price to pay for the sake of the environment and nutrition. It is your money and our labour and you get a better world for free,” he adds. The name, Ek Titli, was inspired by the Chaos Theory or the Butterfly Effect. The organisation is now hoping to create a larger ripple; like a butterfly flaps one wing causing the other to flutter and therefore making it fly. Ek Titli too is trying to take flight. These are crazy people who consider building a “terrace farm to be the biggest achievement,” and are staying afloat by creating “micro-farms and things like that”. Currently, Ek Titli is just confined to Pune. However, through their website they have touched other pockets of the country as well. Currently, they are working on an expansion plan wherein Gujarat is their next bastion. In this quest for the improbable, we hope that there comes a day when you hear a knock on the door and the lone butterfly asks you to join her as she soars.