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Read, Debate: Engage.
| topic: | Climate action |
|---|---|
| located: | India |
| editor: | Bindu Gopal Rao |
The North Indian state of Punjab has a very low forest cover, amounting to a mere 3.66 percent of its geographical area. One of the main reasons for this is the 1968 Green Revolution that made Punjab the food basket of India, converting more land to farming grounds and generating record production of grains. In fact, 85 percent of the geographical area of Punjab is currently used for agriculture.
RoundGlass Foundation’s ‘Plants for Punjab’ is an initiative that is hoping to reforest Punjab by planting native trees across the state. Since 2018, RoundGlass Foundation has planted 620,000 tree saplings, and has a goal of planting one billion trees in the next 25 years which should increase the forest cover by 10-12 percent. The Foundation is receiving community support by partnering with gram panchayats (village councils) and eco-clubs to introduce responsible practices and help plant more trees.
Several farmers have understood the importance of this initiative and are donating their arable farmland to the foundation so that they can become mini-forests. In 2021, 55 farmers from 50 villages donated 33 acres of farmland under the ‘Plant for Punjab’ initiative of the RoundGlass Foundation. Incidentally, since 2018, 450 mini forests have been planted, which fortunately have had a high survival rate of over 90 percent
The Foundation is focusing on native varieties of trees such as Van, Peelu, Roheda, Desi Beri, Reru, Pharwan, Jhand, Phulai, Desi Mango and Desi Kikar and is working with 730 villages under 17 districts.
Apart from bringing back the native trees of Punjab, this is also restoring habitats for birds and animals, improving soil health and aiding climate correction. As the forest cover increases, the air quality is improved, soil erosion is prevented, groundwater is recharged and local biodiversity is enriched.
Interestingly, there is also a social dimension as Plant for Punjab is inspiring youth to stay in villages and work towards increasing the state’s forest cover instead of migrating abroad. It is also creating employment opportunities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, whereby one person handles 200 saplings under the Van Mitra Scheme.
To ensure that the project is successful, the Foundation also gives ongoing support for up to three years after the saplings are planted. This includes help on timely watering, manure application, remedies as needed and continued documentation. As the world is waking up to the impact of climate change, this is an initiative that hopes to be a step in the right direction in maintaining a healthy environment.
Photo by Bady Abbas
