Sadhguru at launch of massive plantation drive in Maharashtra
- Sadhguru announces Yavatmal river vitalization project at Raj Bhavan program
5 June 2019, Mumbai: Making a strong pitch for the environment and demonstrating resolve to turn around the fortune of distressed farmers in the state, the Maharashtra government launched a massive plantation program from the portals of Raj Bhavan on World Environment Day. H.E. Governor of Maharashtra Shri. C. Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Shri. Devendra Fadnavis, and Minister of Finance & Planning and Forests Shri. Sudhir Mungantiwar were present at the event along with Sadhguru, Founder, Isha Foundation.
Maharashtra was the first state to sign an MoU with Isha Foundation for the revival of the Waghari river in Yavatmal district. In March this year, the state government sanctioned INR 415 crore to implement the pilot project at Yavatmal, a severely water-stressed district that has seen several farmer suicides. Nearly 100 “Nadi Veeras” (river champions), full-time volunteers for Isha’s Rally for Rivers project, are on ground at Yavatmal collaborating with the state government for project implementation.
Sadhguru announced the launch of the maiden Rally for Rivers project to revitalize the Waghari river in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra and congratulated the Cabinet and Hon’ble Governor for their proactive involvement and a quick nod to the project. “Maharashtra is taking the lead in doing the right things to preserve and nurture river ecology. In collaboration with Govt of Maharashtra, Rally for Rivers wants to make Waghari and Yavatmal an example for the rest of the country to emulate. This will be a model for the nation that ecology and economy can indeed work together,” said Sadhguru.
The Rally for Rivers draft policy which has been adopted by the state for its Yavatmal project, recommends the planting of trees for a width of at least a kilometre along river banks to replenish soil nutrients and water flow at the source. The proven model has yielded encouraging results for farmers in Tamil Nadu, significantly improving their revenue while recharging water flows at the source.
Rally for Rivers
Sadhguru launched one of the world’s biggest environmental campaigns, Rally for Rivers in 2017 in which he personally drove across 16 Indian states in a month’s time. The campaign saw an unprecedented coming together of political leaders, farmers, industrialists, businessmen, students, professionals, media, culminating in the handing over of the draft policy recommendation to Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The initiative enlarged into a large-scale people’s movement with the participation, in various modes, of over 162 million people, across all walks of life. Subsequently, the PMO formed an executive committee spearheaded by NITI Aayog. On 6 June 2018, NITI Aayog issued an advisory to all 29 States and Union Territories recommending implementation of the River Revitalization policy. In March 2019, Maharashtra became the first state to formally approve Rally for Rivers’ pilot project for revitalization of Waghari River in Yavatmal district.
