VSSM > Raising A million trees – Participatory Tree Plantation Campaign

Raising A million trees – Participatory Tree Plantation Campaign

Raising A Million Trees - Participatory Tree Plantation Campaign

Our work with the nomadic communities involves continuous travelling across Gujarat. At some point, we have been witness to the changing landscape across the countryside. Travelling through the parched regions we see thousands of acres of barren land waiting to be covered in green once again. To increase the green cover of the water-starved and drought-prone regions, VSSM initiated massive Tree Plantation campaign in some of the aridest regions it works.

Some salient features of this campaign are
  • The entire campaign is carried out in partnership with the village leadership and panchayat. There is some contribution from the village in terms of sharing the remuneration of the person appointed to take care of the planted trees. The village body has to spare land to carry out the plantation and make provision for water. The leadership will be responsible for the survival of each planted tree.
  • Care will be taken to ensure that the trees selected are ones that can easily grow in the region, ones that have always been around/native to the region, are shade- giving, ones that birds prefer to perch and nest upon, flower well, bear fruits to attract the birds and the bees. The trees that are planted these days do grow fast, but birds do not prefer to build their nests on it. VSSM got in touch with Forest Department for procuring tree saplings at no or low cost.
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 Trees have been planted
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Number of Villages covered
under plantation drive

Achievements

Rainfall is very low in Banaskantha. The trees have a great significance. In view of this importance, we started planting trees in the villages where we deepen the lakes with the participation of the villagers. The villagers would choose a place where there is no future development to take place in terms of construction. That place should be clean, there should be a fence or wire all around, the villagers would make arrangements for water supply to that space. Then we plant native trees which are suitable for the land. We also select people from the village to take care of the trees at least for 3 years after planting it.
Sr.No. Block No. of Villages No. of Sites Total No. of Trees Planted Total No. of Trees Survived Survival Rate%
1 Ahmedabad 1 1 116 81 69.83%
2 Bhabhar 7 7 21,198 20,091 94.78%
3 Deesa 14 20 66,554 63,564 95.51%
4 Diyodar 13 20 65,016 62,249 95.74%
5 Kankrej 10 17 31,696 30,509 96.26%
6 Suigam 6 7 22,693 22,318 98.42%
7 Lakhni 14 21 1,02,278 98,886 96.68%
8 Tharad 17 19 1,13,625 1,13,378 99.78%
9 Dantiwada 2 3 22,002 21,712 98.68%
10 Vadgam 1 1 1,800 1,800 100.00%
11 Dhanera 3 3 25,800 25,800 100.00%
12 Jhagadia 1 1 7,500 6,725 89.67%
13 Vav 1 1 7,000 7,000 100.00%
Grand Total 90 121 5,03,885 4,87,578 97.30%
Development of Nursery With an objective to improve our access to the plants we wish to plant, VSSM has set up a nursery at Kakar hostel premises as well close to the Kakar Vadi settlement. The nursery is spread over in the land adjoining the Kakar hostel and will raise around 70,000 saplings. There will be around 55,000 saplings in the nursery which will be used in the tree plantation programme in 2023. The remaining 15,000 plants will be planted in the soil and those will be the vegetable plants. The product from these plants will be used for hostels as well as it will be given to the farmers of surrounding areas. Year wise planning of execution
  • 2021-22: 15,000 saplings that are planted at the nursery are for the vegetables to be used in Kakar hostel and will be given in surrounding villages. 55,000 saplings are being grown for the plantation.
  • 2022-23: 15,000 saplings will be planted for the vegetables as the older 15,000 plants for vegetable will be used in 2021-22. 55,000 plants which are planted in 2021-22, will be put in bigger bags as they will be grown. 55,000 new saplings will be planted in the bags. Thus, there will be total 1.10 lakh plants will be grown in the nursery by the year 2022-23. These plants will be planted in the soil in 2023-24.
  • 2023-24: 15,000 saplings will be planted anew for the vegetables as the older 15,000 plants for vegetable will be used. The plants planted in 2021-22 and 2022-23 will be planted in various tree plantation sites in 2023-24. Thus, there will be no plants left in the nursery in 2023-24. Thus, we will be making 185 new beds in 2023-24. These 1.70 lakhs will be planted on various sites by 2024-25. Later, every year 1.70 lakh saplings for the plantation from the year 2024-25 onwards.