- Community-driven plantation projects are encouraging eco-stewardship in Telangana and Rajasthan
Auto driver MD Johnmiya (45)is the resident of Kokkireni Village in Telangana’s Khammam District. Without any agricultural land, he and his family were struggling to make ends meet. When he joined a community-driven plantation project, he began to see a shift in his fortunes within four months. His story of hope exemplifies how rural communities in India are restoring their land and their lives by planting more trees.
He is referring, of course, to the social organisation Grow-Trees.com’s Trees for Villagers™ project which has planted over 50,000 trees in Khammam,Telangana. This initiative has not only increased vegetation and controlled soil erosion but also enhanced the water table in the region, contributing to the prevention of severe droughts and floods.
At a time when The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), has used the word ‘degraded’ to describe 40% of all land area worldwide, stories of beneficiaries like Johnmiya and Indra Bai (31) are heartening.
Thrilled with the ‘Trees for Water’™ project in Mewar, Indra says, “The plantation initiative has not only helped me to earn more money but made a significant difference to my daily life by providing shade during the scorching summer month.” The ‘Trees for Water’™ project has planted around 25,000 trees in the community lands of Achla Ji Ka Kheda, Mukanagarh, Gatuna Ka Jhopda, Barodiya, Bhilwara, Mewar, Rajasthan.
Mr Pradip Shah, co-founder of Grow-Trees.com adds, ”In Khammam and Mewar, we had to consider socio-economic as well as environmental issues. We wanted to ensure that the local communities were on board with our initiatives. With their participation, we planted drought-resistant trees, reintroduced traditional conservation measures like ‘Thavala’ and also agroforestry practices specific to farming land. Additionally, we integrated trees with crops or livestock to boost soil fertility and to promote biodiversity.”
According to the UNCCD, every second, an equivalent of four football fields of healthy land becomes degraded globally. This is an untenable situation considering healthy land not only provides us with almost 95% of our food but also sustains large populations with livelihoods. In such a scenario, Grow-Trees.com is demonstrating one project at a time, how to achieve ecosystem and economic resilience by initiating soil conservation, introducing contextual land management practices and generating income for grassroots stakeholders.
