Mumbai: To beat the ill effects of climate change, a Jain community organisation will be launching an initiative to plant 10 lakh trees across the state. The Jain Alert Group will be planting 10 lakh trees every year with an aim to make Maharashtra greener and cooler for the future generations.
Jain Alert Group (JAG) is a non-government organisation run by members of the Jain community for the upliftment of the community and society at large. Under the guidance of revered monk Ratnasurishvarji Maharaj, the organisation has been carrying out various social works related to health, education and utility for the last 30 years. Today the group has around 40,000 members in its more than 400 branches spread across India as well as in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia.
From June 14, JAG will launch their initiative to inspire and help the youth across Maharashtra to plant trees in different locations. The members of JAG will set on a three-day tour from Nashik to Nanded visiting 37 villages and will motivate people, especially youth, to plant trees in their villages and barren land. The team will meet hundreds of youth in villages like Malegaon, Nandurbar, Dhulia, Sindhkheda and others inspiring them to start the plantation drive from July during the monsoon season.
Jinesh Doshi, president of Maharashtra JAG, said, “Under the guidance of our third sarsenadhipati Nilesh Shah, we are starting this initiative and with the help of all our members, we will be able to accomplish it. By planting 10 lakh trees every year, we want to give back to society what society has provided us. However, according to the overwhelming response, we can even aim for 25 lakh trees.”
Apart from providing seeds for plantation, JAG and a tree-plantation expert will also guide people about the importance of trees, knowledge about sourcing trees and the ways to conserve them. The organisation has also collaborated with local administrations, which will provide them seeds as well as allocate space for plantation. Near Aurangabad, the organisation will get a stretch along the highways which has a space for 40,000 trees to be planted.
JAG will also motivate farmers and landowners in these rural areas to plant trees in their privately owned lands. The organisation will specially distribute seeds for Chiku, guava and mango so that the farmers will look after the saplings until they grow into big trees and can also benefit from the fruits reaped from them. JAG will plant 50 to 400 trees per farmer according to the area of land available with them.
“Whenever we set out on such trips, we have a heavy breakfast and skip lunch, we directly eat during the evening as we follow chauvihar (a Jain fasting ritual that restricts eating after sunset and before sunrise). This way we get more time to carry out the work for which we have set the journey. At some of the places, we will be provided seeds and saplings by the local government nurseries and we will buy them for the rest,” said Doshi.
