AWS InCommunities undertakes biodiversity conservation projects in Powai and Malad

Mumbai: Amazon Web Services (AWS) India Private Limited* today announced the inauguration of its biodiversity conservation project in Dr. Ambedkar Udyan in Powai, in Mumbai. Another project is underway at Sanjay Gandhi National Park to restore a part of the forest area in Malad. These projects have been undertaken as part of the AWS InCommunities program, which aims to positively impact communities, especially in regions where AWS operates.

As part of these projects, AWS InCommunities is undertaking the plantation of 4,500 native saplings across eight sites at Dr. Ambedkar Udyan in Powai, with support from Green Yatra Trust, a nonprofit organisation. It is also planting more than 3,500 native saplings in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, adding to the6,500 saplings it planted in 2023.

The saplings feature 106 species native to India, including medicinal, pollinator, flowering, and other types of trees. One section of the plantation will include trees native to several Indian states, thereby bringing in a variety of species from different parts of the country. Information boards in each section will provide details on the saplings planted there.

The inauguration event was held on October 15, 2024, at Dr. Ambedkar Udyan. Jonathan Price, Director of Data Center Design Engineering, AWS (Australia), Munish Kumar, Sr. Data Center Design Delivery Manager, AWS India, and other leaders from AWS were present at the event. During the event, the dignitaries inaugurated one of the tree plantation sites, unveiled a board detailing the project along with individual signboards, and planted a few saplings to kick off the biodiversity conservation project.

The initiatives under the AWS InCommunities program in India are focused on holistic community development, including the environment, people, and overall wellness. These initiatives were first implemented in India in Maharashtra’s Navi Mumbai in 2018, before being extended to Telangana’s Rangareddy district in 2020. Since then, the AWS InCommunities program has focused on the development of sustainable communities by implementing impactful initiatives to protect wildlife and the environment, as well as bolster the local economy, essential education and health infrastructure, and other basic amenities. In 2022, AWS InCommunities also took up the construction of a wildlife underpass beneath the Mumbai-Goa highway to provide wild animals with a safe passage for movement, and the installation of informative boards and water purifiers in Karnala Wildlife Sanctuary to enhance tourism in the sanctuary.