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Church groups in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh joined a government initiative on Sunday to plant millions of saplings to arrest climate change and propagate a message of conserving water.  All nine Catholic dioceses in the state joined the government's 12-hour long tree plantation drive. The government claimed 60 million saplings were planted on July 2, most of them on the banks of the river Narmada, considered a holy river by majority Hindus in the state.

"It was a great move in the direction of protecting the environment, conserving water and promoting greenery, thereby arresting the ill-effects of climate change," said Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur.  Bishop Almeida issued a special circular to all parishes and Catholic institutions, urging priests, nuns and the laity to actively participate in the state’s plantation drive, said Father Somy Jacob, a parish priest of Jabalpur.  The diocesan circular wanted each Catholic family in the 62 parishes to plant "at least five saplings on their land and if possible on public land where they can take care of them." The parishioners "actively participated" by planting sapling on parish lands and school grounds, said Father Jacob.

Tribal areas' water problem 

"In the tribal-dominated Jhabua Diocese Catholics planted saplings in the grounds of schools and also in public places identified for tree plantation," said Father Father Rockey Shal, the public relations officer of Jhabua Diocese.  He noted that in many parts the diocese people "have to walk far to fetch water during summer because the destruction of forests and trees has dried up the water sources.” “Building up greenery is the only solution for the water crisis," he told UCANEWS.  The priest said people in his diocese will "always support any move to turn the environment green as the mindless destruction of forests has upset the ecological balance and people are suffering directly from such destruction."

Chief minister leads the way

State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who leads the right-wing pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, has been leading campaigns to clean the state's rivers and increase green cover.  Hundreds of thousands of people, including BJP party members, Hindu groups, clubs and ordinary farmers joined the campaign. "Elders, children, women, students, farmers, social activists, journalists, administrative officers, police personnel and people from all walks of life are planting saplings today," an official statement from the government said.  Chouhan called it a "peerless example of public participation in river conservation and environmental protection."

Bishop Almeida said the loss of trees had led to a serious water crisis in many parts of the state. "Even if 10 million of the 60 million saplings survive it will be a great achievement," he said. Quoting a previous study, the bishops said on average only three out of 10 saplings would survive.  Bishop Almeida wants the government and the people to continue planting saplings "every year so that the state can revive its lost greenery and increase the quality of air, water and the environment."

Depleting forest cover, inadequate regeneration

Federal government data say that India lost about 40% of its forest cover between 1880 and 2013. Today, 24% of its area, or 700,000 sq km, is under forests.  The area under forest and tree cover has grown by 5,081 sq km between 2013 and 2015.   However, according to a new study by the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, “despite tall claims by various agencies the forests are still degrading and also depleting due to overexploitation.”  After 70 years of Independence, more than two-thirds of villages adjoining forests across the country are still heavily dependent on forests for fodder, firewood and other produce.  Besides, illegal logging, timber trade and diversion of forest area for industrial purposes continue unabated.  The FRI study shows that in 60% of forests are in poor health with inadequate regeneration status.  (Source: UCAN)

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