How Jharkhand is increasing green cover and boosting rural economy at the same time

Time of India

2 days ago

Ranchi: Rapid deforestation, which is leading to environmental degradation, has emerged as a global concern over the past few decades. For Jharkhand, the challenge is to strike a balance between mining and industrial activities and preserving its forest cover, which spreads roughly across 28% of its total geographical area.
The state govt is now quietly laying the groundwork for a green revolution by planting crores of saplings of fruit bearing trees across Jharkhand with a two-pronged aim; to increase green cover and improve the lives of rural people by providing them with alternative livelihood opportunities.
At the heart of the initiative is Birsa Harit Gram Yojana. Launched in 2016-17 FY by the state rural development department under the Centre's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Known as Birsa Aam Bagwani Yojana then, the scheme was relaunched in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, to financially assist the thousands of migrant workers from the state who returned to their homes jobless.
Ever since, the scheme provided a lifeline to the rural population by benefitting over 1.67 lakh families by promoting the cultivation of fruit-bearing trees.
The scheme began by promoting the cultivation of high-yielding Amprapali and Mallika varieties of mangoes in some blocks of Khunti district.
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Locals were encouraged to transform fallow land into into mango orchards under MGNREGS, where they get benefits of the scheme and can earn a livelihood through selling the produce once the plants start bearing fruits.
"The scheme was designed to promote MGNREGS workers as owners of their orchards. While preparing their land for cultivation, they get wages under MGNERGS and at the same time, they are creating an asset for themselves.
As the land gets ready for cultivation, they are provided with plant saplings, fertilisers, and technical support under MGNREGS. Till the plants start producing fruits, the beneficiaries cultivate vegetables and earn money by selling those," said Mritunjay Kumar Barnwal, Jharkhand MGNREGA commissioner.
Beneficiaries get to plant 112 mango saplings and 80 timber-yielding saplings per acre of land, which include teak, Indian rosewood and mahogany, which can help them elevate from the poverty line and sustain their family's livelihood through horticulture for the long term.
To bridge the knowledge gap about nuances of horticulture, BHGY guidelines, and plant upkeep and mortality, a cadre of more than 15,000 well-trained 'Bagwani Sakhis' has also been employed by the rural development department.
"Apart from mangoes, the farmers have started planting guava, lemons and pears saplings. Plans are afoot to promote cultivation of litchis; cashew nuts and other high-priced fruits are in the pipeline.
Approximately 2.17 crore saplings have been planted so far across the state," Barnwal said.
What started as a plantation drive in a few hundred acres in 2016-17 FY has covered 1.49 acres of fallow land statewide in nine years. Over 1.6 crore fruit bearing saplings and 63 lakh timber saplings were planted as well during this period. This year, the department aims to transform 50,000 acres into green patches and plant 1 crore saplings in the ongoing financial year.
Jharkhand has a population of around four crores at present, and the dept.
has set a goal to transform the govt's vision of 'one plant one person' into reality by the end of the current financial year.
Department sources said carrying out plantation in an acre over 10 years costs a farmer Rs 55,000. However, they can earn up to Rs 2 lakh during the same period.
Solki Devi, a farmer from Palamu district, earned around Rs 2 lakh in three years after she enlisted for BHGY's benefits in 2021-22 FY.
She Solki planted 112 Amprapali and Mallika varieties of mango plants and 80 timber plants in one acre of land.
"As the mango trees take around three years they reach the fruit-bearing stage. I cultivated cabbage, cauliflower, radish and other vegetables in the same land for three years and earned around Rs 50,000 per year by selling those. As the mango trees bore fruit, I earned another Rs 61,000 this year by selling 18 quintals of mangoes.
BHGY has drastically changed my life. Previously, I had no source of earning, but I am earning in lakhs every year," she said.
Triloki Singh from Koderma, who used to work as an agricultural labourer till 2020 before he became one of the beneficiaries of BHGY, was living in a hand-to-mouth situation. But his life changed drastically after becoming a beneficiary of the scheme. "I earned Rs 40,000 by selling around 15 quintals of mangoes in 2024 and Rs 60,000 this year.
In the last three years, I have earned around Rs 40,000 per year by selling the vegetables produced in my land," Triloki added.
Karim Malik, associate director of a Delhi-based NGO, Transform Rural India Foundation (TRIF), who has been associated as a knowledge partner of BHGY, said, "From preparing season specific guidelines for vegetable cultivation until the plants start producing fruits, to planning marketing strategies of the produce, all are done by TRIF in association with the dept.
In the last two years, mangoes produced under BHGY have been exported to Arab countries, Singapore, Cambodia and other foreign countries.
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"Once mango cultivation reaches a surplus point, besides exporting to other countries, the mangoes can be used for the production of other value-added products, such as mango juices, and mango pulp which again create livelihood opportunities for the people of Jharkhand," Malik added.
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