Mahatma Green India Mission distributes 43 lakh saplings

The Mahatma Green India Mission (MGIM), formerly known as Isha Nursery, has distributed 43 lakh saplings through its 35 nurseries in Tamil Nadu this year.

The demand for high-value species such as mahogany, melia dubia, teak and red sanders, among others, has increased since the launch of the 'Cauvery Calling' campaign, a press release said on Wednesday.

MGIM is an initiative of Project Green Hands (PGH), the largest grassroots greening movement in India, launched by Isha-founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in 2004.

Since then, over three million people have planted 38 million trees in an ongoing effort to increase green cover in Tamil Nadu to the nationally mandated 33 per cent, the release said.

PGH has been awarded Indias highest environmental award, the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar and also holds the Guinness Record for planting the most number of trees in three days: 852,587 saplings planted in 6284 locations in Tamil Nadu, it said.

Demand outstripped supply this year after the farmer outreach programme as part of the Cauvery Calling campaign, generated huge demand for high-value tree species.

MGIM is expected to accelerate scaling its operations in the Cauvery basin in order to meet the demand and MGIM distributes saplings to anyone committed to nurturing them and ensuring their survival and growth, the release said.

This year, 45 per cent of the recipients were farmers.

In addition to distributing the naturally grown saplings, the mission team also visits farms, studies soil, terrain, agro-climatic conditions and irrigation facilities and recommend appropriate species for plantation.

The team also provides consultative service, training and support to farmers for three years after they plant the saplings to ensure maturity and high survival rate, the release added.