RANCHI: Jharkhand Forest Department has launched a unique initiative for the conservation of forests, under which 'rakhi' will be tied to three lakh trees in selected villages across 24 districts in the state.
According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sanjeev Kumar, the initiative is a part of the 'Save Trees' campaign, which will run for a month. Kumar inaugurated the campaign on Friday by tying a ‘rakhi’ to a tree in Jorag village of Gumla.
The initiative was conceived by Sanjeev Kumar in 2004 in Lukaiya village under Dhanbad's Tundi block, an area once affected by Maoist insurgency. Since then, more than 12,000 villages across the state have been linked to this programme.
Kumar also informed that over 20,000 Mahua trees were saved in Lukaiya village through this initiative and that these trees now contribute significantly to the villagers' livelihoods.
The campaign has also assisted numerous villages in cultivating minor forest produce, thereby boosting the villagers' income, he said. Kumar further said that the initiative has played a significant role in expanding Jharkhand’s forest cover.
Citing the Forest Survey of India (FSI), he noted that the state’s forest cover has been witnessing a steady increase in recent years. The Forest Survey report shows that Jharkhand’s forest cover has grown by 1,128 square kilometres over the two decades since 2001, reflecting the impact of the Forest Department’s conservation efforts.
The PCCF added that the campaign has also contributed significantly to water conservation and the restoration of degraded forests. “Raksha Bandhan is a festival of siblings where brothers pledge to protect their sisters. Similarly, protecting the environment is our supreme duty, as our lives depend on it,” said the PCCF.
The campaign will continue for a month, during which ‘rakhis’ will be tied to three lakh trees across 24 districts, he added.
Gumla Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Belal Ahmed said that the activity develops a sense of responsibility among the villages to protect the trees. “This is a manifestation of the bond between villagers and nature, as we derive everything from it, from the oxygen we breathe to the food we eat,” said the DFO.
Since the initiative is carried out collectively by villagers, forest committees and forest officials, it fosters a sense of attachment and responsibility among the community, encouraging them to protect the trees, he added.
Meanwhile, rakhis were tied to approximately one lakh trees across 700 villages on the day of Raksha Bandhan on Friday. Head of the forest committee, Chandmohan Oraon, informed that villagers have been pledging to protect trees by tying these ‘Raksha Sutra’ (protective threads) for the past ten years.