In a spirited effort to celebrate World Environment Day and promote nature conservation, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, initiated a special drive to collect mango seeds, known as ‘Guthali Returns’. This initiative garnered overwhelming participation from citizens, resulting in the collection of more than 25,000 mango seeds over two days.

The collection drive saw specially equipped vehicles deployed across Circle 1 and Circle 2 areas of Navi Mumbai, facilitating the collection of seeds from societies, juice centres, restaurants, and hotels. Citizens enthusiastically responded to the call for participation, highlighting the novelty and importance of the initiative.

A significant development in this endeavour is the collaboration with the popular FM radio channel 'Red FM' for their initiative ‘Guthali Returns’. Through this collaboration, the collected mango seeds will be distributed to farmers in rural areas, providing them with an additional avenue for livelihood alongside agriculture.

Recognizing the environmental impact of the initiative, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation plans to utilize some of the collected mango seeds for the conservation of mango tree saplings within the city, furthering its commitment to environmental sustainability. The remaining seeds will be directed towards the 'Guthali Returns' initiative in collaboration with Red FM channel.

The collaboration between Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Red FM received widespread appreciation from listeners, with RJ Malishka of Red FM engaging in a discussion with Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde about the initiative on World Environment Day. Approximately 1 lakh mango seeds are expected to be collected as part of this drive, contributing to both tree conservation efforts within Navi Mumbai and the support of rural livelihoods through the Guthali Returns initiative.

The mango seed collection drive commenced on World Environment Day, June 5, and will continue until June 15. Citizens are encouraged to participate by washing mango seeds in containers, drying them under the sun with newspapers or packing them in boxes, after enjoying the mangoes.