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.
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.
Financial Year | No. of Sites | No. of Villages | No. of Blocks | Trees Planted | Trees Burnt | Trees Survived | Survival Ratio% |
2019-20 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 18,741 | 2,204 | 16,824 | 89.77% |
2020-21 | 17 | 13 | 5 | 33,510 | 2,041 | 31,469 | 93.91% |
2021-22 | 31 | 31 | 9 | 1,05,177 | 8,010 | 97,167 | 92.38% |
2022-23 | 57 | 57 | 11 | 3,39,679 | 55,751 | 2,83,928 | 83.59% |
2023-24 | 41 | 40 | 18 | 3,72,633 | 8,458 | 3,64,175 | 97.73% |
Grand Total | 157 | 140 | 22 | 8,69,740 | 76,464 | 7,93,563 | 91.24% |
