Tree knows ground realities : With sky as limit

It is not the number of trees you plant that matters. It is how early you plant them. The best time to plant the tree was not 20 years back. It was 27 years back when United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC) was signed in Earth Summit at Rio, Brazil. This is story of TERRE Policy Centre’s ‘rooting the trees’. It is the story of million tree plantation.

Success Story of Million Tree Plantation Programme

When you want to walk fast, walk alone. When you want to walk far walk together. And when you want to walk fast and far walk with public-private partnership.

TERRE Policy Centre did exactly that. It formed the partnership with companies like Tata Motors, JSW and Persistent. It walked far and fast.

It was a challenging task to work in a difficult terrain. That’s where partnership helps. It entered into a path breaking tri-party agreement between TERRE Policy Centre, private sector and the forest department of the state level government, i.e. State of Maharashtra

TERRE went on planting more than 55000 trees in urban and rural hilly area ensuring that they are rooted in the grounds and grow towards blue sky. Urban-peri-urban area like Warje and Mhalunge rural area like Dolvi and Karav . It was urban and rural forestry to make the Earth Great Again, to make the Earth Cool Again and to make the Earth what it should be again-green!

The real heroes, however, that contributed to this success story were, ‘Local communities’. Their hard work has no doubt been the most important pillar for this success. Due to high hilly ranges, carrying the plants of 10 to 15 feet height with root-bag size of 18inch diameter was a strenuous task. The plants had to be planted in rainy seasons. With an average rainfall of 2345mm, the working conditions were not very friendly.

But no work is difficult when it comes to plant hopes, future and sustainable world. We have to leave no one behind. Even if we are 27 years late. It is better late than never. END