ANKARA
In 1979, when Jadav Payeng, then 16 years old, started planting trees on the barren land of Majuli Island in India’s northeastern Assam state, little did he know that in the years to come, it would turn into a forest spread over 550 acres of land.
Besides being credited for turning barren land into a forest, his efforts towards planting trees and for forest conservation and biodiversity earned him the title of “The Forest Man of India.”
"When I was a teenager, following floods, there was a drought that killed snakes due to extreme heat. Forest officials said these could have been saved if there was forest cover," Payeng, 63, who is now widely known as the man behind one of the best man-made forests in the country, told Anadolu by phone.
View of barren land turned forest on Majuli Island in India’s northeastern Assam state. Credit: Jadav Payeng
He said he decided to plant trees on the land – one sapling every day – and after several years, the result is that trees now drop seeds on the ground themselves, which helps in growing more.
"I feel happy today when I see the forest cover. I still remember those barren lands. Behind all the cover is a lot of effort," said Payeng, who in 2015 was presented with the Padma award – the fourth highest civilian award in India – for his work.
According to local media, the forest now has a rich diversity of flora, and animals are now returning to the forest, which also has a bamboo plantation as well.
Payeng says people from various provinces invite him to tree plantation drives. In 2020, he even signed an agreement with a non-profit organization in Mexico to collaborate on environmental work.
"I have been invited by many states, within India and even abroad, where I go and plant a tree," he said.
According to the Forest Survey of India, the country's forest cover has experienced a marginal increase in recent years. According to its 2021 assessment, India’s total forest cover was 713,789 square kilometers (275,595 square miles) or 21.72% of the country’s geographical area and total forest and tree cover has increased by 2,261 square kilometers (873 square miles) at the national level.
Payeng's next goal is for India to become green one day.
"Our efforts should be towards working for the environment," he said, adding that everyone should plant a tree on their birthday, which would help make India a green country.
Meanwhile, there are many other people in India who are coming forward to deal with India's environmental issues, which experts say are many.
Environmental activist Chanchal Singh Kunwar is traveling across India on his bicycle in order to create public awareness about climate change and its consequences for the coming generation
Kunwar, from the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, who had covered 22 states as of January this year, said his aim is to interact with youth during the tour to tell them about the impact that climate change will have on their lives in the next 40 years.
"If we do not act now, the future generation shall suffer due to increased global warming,” he told reporters in January in the northeastern state of Sikkim.
Myriad environmental issues
According to experts in India, the country, as a rapidly developing nation, is grappling with a myriad of environmental issues that have serious implications for public health, ecological balance, and economic growth.
Environmental expert Suman Mor told Anadolu the most pressing concerns that India is facing are air pollution, water pollution, waste management, and land degradation.
India's air quality is severely compromised due to industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, construction activities, and crop residue burning, she said, adding the country's "water resources are heavily polluted by industrial effluents, sewage discharge and agricultural runoff, which contain high levels of heavy metals, pesticides, and other hazardous substances."
India was the world's eighth most polluted country in 2022, according to the Swiss firm IQAir, which last month released its World Air Quality Report. In the report, 39 Indian cities figured in the top 50 polluted cities in the world.
Mor also said the inadequate management of solid and hazardous waste in India results in the release of toxic substances into the environment, including landfills, rivers, and oceans, and improper disposal of electronic waste, in particular, poses significant risks to human health.
She added that deforestation, soil erosion, and desertification are major concerns in India.
'Holistic approach'
Ravindra Khaiwal, professor of environmental health at the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health at the North India-based Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, told Anadolu that to mitigate these issues, India needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach that involves "stringent regulations, innovative technological solutions, public awareness campaigns, and international collaboration."
"The implementation of cleaner production processes, sustainable agricultural practices, and efficient waste management systems is crucial for addressing the country's environmental challenges and fostering long-term socioeconomic development," he said.
He said addressing India's environmental problems requires "a holistic approach that encompasses robust policy frameworks, technological innovation, public awareness, and international cooperation."
The Indian government has been maintaining that it has taken a number of steps for the protection of the environment, including combating climate change.
“The government of India stands committed to combating climate change through its several programs and schemes, including the National Action Plan on Climate Change, which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, health, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India and strategic knowledge for climate change,” India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed the country’s parliament in December last year.
