Jadav Payeng - Alone Indian Man Plants 1360 acre forest by Himself over 30 years . Jadav Payeng is an environmental activist and forestry worker from Jorhat, Assam, India. He upgraded a chapori of the river Brahmaputra to a reserve forest. The name of the forest is Mulai Kathoni (Mulai is his nickname ). It is located near Kokilamukh of Jorhat, Assam, India, with a total area of about 1000 hectares .
Jadav Payeng is an environmental activist and forestry worker from Jorhat, Assam, India. He upgraded a chapori of the river Brahmaputra to a reserve forest. The name of the forest is Mulai Kathoni (Mulai is his nickname ). It is located near Kokilamukh of Jorhat, Assam, India, with a total area of about 1000 hectares .
A little more than 30 years ago, Jadav "Molai" Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India's Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng planted — single-handedly.
It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.
"The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng
The forest, known in Assamese as "Mulai Kathoni" or Mulai forest, houses around four tigers, three rhinoceros, over a hundred deer and rabbits besides apes and innumerable varieties of birds, including a large number of vultures.
It has several thousand trees among which are valcol, arjun, ejar, goldmohur, koroi, moj and himolu. There are bamboo trees too covering an area of over 300 hectares.
A herd of around 100 elephants regularly visits the forest every year and generally stay for around six months. They also gave birth to 10 calves in the forest in recent times.
Jadav Payeng’s efforts caught attention of the forest department only during 2008 when a team of forest officials went to the area in search of a herd of 115 elephants that sneaked into the forest after damaging property of villagers at Aruna chapori, around 1.5 km from the forest.
The officials were surprised to see such a large and dense forest and since then the department is showing interest on conservation with regular visit to the site, Jadav Payeng said.
How it actually started ?
A little more than 30 years ago, Jadav "Molai" Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India's Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng planted — single-handedly.
It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.
"The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng
For almost 30 years, off everyone’s radar, without support or subsidies, without fear or favour, without Forest Department or foreign hand, Payeng, almost obsessively, continued to expand the forest and the fruit of his labour is now being celebrated around the world.
Residence of Mr..Jadav Payeng |
It has several thousand trees among which are valcol, arjun, ejar, goldmohur, koroi, moj and himolu. There are bamboo trees too covering an area of over 300 hectares.
A herd of around 100 elephants regularly visits the forest every year and generally stay for around six months. They also gave birth to 10 calves in the forest in recent times.
Jadav Payeng’s efforts caught attention of the forest department only during 2008 when a team of forest officials went to the area in search of a herd of 115 elephants that sneaked into the forest after damaging property of villagers at Aruna chapori, around 1.5 km from the forest.
The officials were surprised to see such a large and dense forest and since then the department is showing interest on conservation with regular visit to the site, Jadav Payeng said.
Picture of Mr.Jadav Payeng in forest
Hats-off Mr.Jadav Payeng
Hats off........Thank you Mr.Jadav Payeng......God bless you....
Incredible. As a gesture we would like to post your news on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vacfompage
Inspiration for everyone
Hajar selam
Hatsoff to this man.. Good Idea..better Implementation..best example to all of us..!!!
INCREDIBLE INDIA HATS OFF TO YOU Mr. Jadav Payeng...
He deserv a SALUTE, We SALUTE You Mr. Jadav Payeng (Mulia)
thanx him alot..............................
Wow, Just wow.
Well done proud of sir may god bless u
Mr. jadav......only you are doing the best job for our motherland ....i salute you
Thanks to the Govt. of India. It has not interfered and had not arrested him under various sections for doing this mighty eco service to the Nation. Hats off Jadav.
HATS OF TO U BOSS
This is real Bharatratna !!!