How this Gujarat village will help Doha go green for 2022 Fifa World Cup

SURAT: Football may not give as much kick as cricket would for people in Ambheta, a tiny village of Navsari district. However, the hamlet has dribbled its way to playing a key role in the 22nd edition of FIFA World Cup to be played in Doha in November 2022.
Indian trees like peepal, banyan and karanj will find a place of pride among the embellishments to turn the Qatar jewel into a green valley for the most-watched sports in the world.
Ambetha, located on Gandevi road near Billimora, will export thousands of tree species to the Persian Gulf coast from its Samir Farm and Nursery whose owner, Samir Vashi, has bagged a major contract to make the city green. Indian trees will lend 134 sq km city of Doha, an arid land, its green lungs for the population of 23,82,000 during the football extravaganza.
Talking to TOI, Vashi said, "A local firm in Doha is importing these trees for Doha green zone project. India will play a major role with trees supplied by us."
"The climatic conditions of Doha, which is hot and humid, is like our tropical hot conditions and these trees and plant species will successfully thrive there too," Vashi added.
Vegetable plants like ladies finger are also in huge demand there and would be supplied in big quantities from Ambheta.
The process of turning the desert into a green valley has already started with a few lakh ready-to-plant Avenue trees of different native Indian species already making its way to the Arabian city.
Doha, which earned the right to host the 22nd edition last year, will host to 32 teams which will play 64 matches including the finals to be played on December 18, 2022. Anticipating huge influx of tourists from across the world, Doha is undergoing transformation. Large infrastructure like hotels, new roads, and stadiums are being constructed for the grand event.
"We have orders for supply of large quantity of landscaping green material, different types of shrubs, flowering and non-flowering adornment plants and adeniums (small potted plants) of different nature," said Vashi.
Earlier, world's tallest building Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and Nurai Island of Abu Dhabi, have been landscaped with plants and trees supplied by Samir Farms.