Green Man of India - Rohit Mehra

Popularly known as Green man of India - Rohit Mehra , an IRS officer from Punjab is well known for his love for forests especially urban forests. Apart from his profession he is an author, motivational speaker and blogger. His mission and passion both is to protect and conserve the environment by developing urban forests and make earth more greener place to live in. 

Flashback

Rohit, like other students was an average student in his student life. He failed in his grade 12 board exams however he continued with dedication and passed the exams. Later on he was able to pass Civil Services exam in 2004 and get commissioned as an IRS officer. 

His love for trees was not from childhood. He even refused to plant a tree when his grandfather urged him to do so however a U turn came in his life when his son told him that they had a day off in school due to pollution in 2016. It shattered his mind and provoked him to do something. He decided to devote a small part of his life for environment and sustainability.

A Hike to Greenery

Rohit started his campaign for greenery by first studying numerous books on Indian culture and from their he came across " Vriksh Ayurved. " He also turned up to an ancient Japanese art called Miyawaki technique of planting trees. After deep Research and studies he was hit upon the idea of creating an urban forest. So far Rohit has created 250 microforests in the urban areas especially in Ludhiana and Amritsar with a focus to plant only native species of plants. " In life you always have two choices either to react to any situation or to take action to change it. "Mehra says.

Vertical Gardens - the first project

The first step towards his oath for setting up greenery was  developing Vertical Gardens in the City. He asked for plastic bottles to the school students and scrap dealers. He created such vertical Gardens at Golden Temple Amritsar, railway and police stations, judicial campuses, his own office and even some IITs. The vertical garden at Income Tax Department Ludhiana has been given place in Limca Book of World Records which used around 17000 plastic bottles. 

Apart from Punjab, Rohit has developed around 550 vertical Gardens across Delhi , Mumbai, Jammu ,Vadodara, Surat, Kolkata ,Gurugram and Odisha, just free of cost.

Developing Urban Forest

Mehra along with his team of green volunteers or Eco Warriors has converted several dump yards and vacant places into Mini forests. Many Mini forests were created over industrial land beside canals and panchayat lands. Many trees in these forests have grown to a height of 15 to 17 feet and it is even difficult to pass through them. Following Vriksh Ayurved, Mehra planted minimum of 25 to 30 native varieties of trees like Amla , Neem and Kikar which complement each other by sharing nutrients among themselves. He uses organic substances like leaves, cowdung etc for developing forest.

The tree Hospital and Mobile tree ATM

One more unique endeavour  in this series of environment protection is a Tree Hospital set up by the officer at Amritsar. With the help of some botanists ,Ayurvedacharyas and environmentalists, a tree ambulance is also placed there." Whenever a plant is dying, people contact us for suggesting remedies. In many cases we even sent ambulance to the home to protect the plant" says Mehra. On an average, Mehra gets 25 to 30 calls everyday for treating plants. Also they have a mobile tree ATM from where they distribute two free plants to the people who promise to take care of them.

The seed balls

Mehra has introduced one more unique concept - the seeds enveloped in clay and enriched with proper nutrition for their growth called seed balls. Mehra and his team throw these seed balls in free spaces wherever available so that they can sprout and develope as a plant. He distributed these seed balls in langars, toll plazas and rath yatras also. 

Achievements

Although list of his accomplishments is huge, still a few to be mentioned here. Mehra has written three books on environment- " how to make urban forests", "31 green habits to save the planet" and " Gift lungs to future Generation". Mehra has been called up in IITs, IIMs and Ayush department of Government of India for sharing his valuable knowledge. National Green Tribunal in collaboration with Mehra is aiming to prepare 300 urban forests in the near future. 

Salute to the efforts of Green Man of India - an Income tax Officer by profession but an environmentalist by heart who considers developing green patches as his duty to the nation and the society. 

 Benital - India's first Astro Village

Benital - one of it's kind village in Uttarakhand is marking its presence in the field of Astro tourism very rapidly. In the past, in December 2021 an Astro Park was set up in Benital which lies in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand , situated at a height of 2500 m or 8500 feet for a variety of activities. 

As per officials, due to minimal human intervention, Benital offers a unique view of night sky which is an ideal site for watching  celestial bodies. From here the idea of Astro tourism also popped up which is one of its kind. 

The paradise of nature

In fact this place can be a Paradise for nature lovers. Amidst heart taking natural beauty and negligible pollution, visitors are engaged here in a variety of activities like star gazing, identifying planets constellation finding ,sky observation and learning astrophotography.

As per one of the visitor" I was feeling as if we are being covered with the blanket of stars and moon here. We are feeling as if we are revitalized by coming here. We are unable to observe such a clear sky in the city due to pollution. I wish that it should we night forever and no day break should be there. It's simply mesmerizing. "

A new trend in Tourism

Paul Savio, Co founder and Chief executive officer of the company Starscapes, finds this place to be ideal for this event. With increasing pollution, people are continuously searching for more peaceful and new places which can provide them off beat experience and Benital can prove to be a milestone in the field of Astro tourism which is an entirely new concept. The Astro party was organized by the Chamoli district administration in collaboration with Gurgaon based company Starscapes experiences pvt Ltd. 

The live Experience

The visitors spent two nights observing stars, planets and constellations, then they were taken to a nearby village where they were explained the construction and launching of a rocket. It was a great experience to see Jupiter in the night sky as per observers. For visitors help, there were 8 experts available throughout the night on the spot. There was no entry fee for the event. In all it was an enriching and wonderful experience. Apart from Star hunting and night sky gazing events like tracking, bird watching and cycling we also arranged to give a wholesome experience to the visitors. 

No doubt this new trend is going to stay for long and it will soon fetch the hearts of people. Benital is going to become the next travel destination surely and will mark it's presence as India's first Astro village.

Kisaan school of Chattisgarh

 Chhattisgarh's First Kisaan School

Baheradih village of Janjgir Champa district of Chhattisgarh has made its identity all over the country and it doesn't needs introduction anymore. Chhattisgarh first Kisan school is being opened here and very soon it has become a model for farmers across the country. The school is excelling not only in farming and farmer's training but also generating employment opportunities for the villagers.

The Man Behind

On 23 December, 2021, a progressive former named Deendayal Yadav of Baheradih village of baloda block of Janjgir Champa district lead the foundation of first Kisan school in Chhattisgarh on the occasion of Kisan Divas. Deendayal Yadav has been experimenting on vegetables since 2010-11 and those efforts became fruitful with the opening of Kisan school in 2021. The School has been a role model for farmers as it is carrying out new and innovative experiments on crops and vegetables with the help of Agriculture department and the process is still in progress. 

The Journey of  Innovation

Farmer Deendayal narrates his story " In 2012, I got a sample of half kilogram Australian Eisenia Fetida earthworm for vermicomposting from Agriculture department. " Afterwards he himself  started producing these earthworms . At present he has produced more than 12 quintals of earthworms and earned more than 12 lakhs by selling them. Also 8 lakh rupees have been earned by making vermicompost with those earthworms. He is also supplying these earthworms and vermicompost to government "Gothans". He is facing excess demand for them. 

The Journey Ahead

This is not the end of the journey  it is only one aspect of it. The School has patented not only 36 kinds of vegetables including Aamari, Chench and Chaulai bhaji but also many varieties of rice. The farmers are not only getting training in organic farming but they are also learning to make organic compost here which is proving to be greatly beneficial in the farming of vegetables and other plants like moringa, papaya, mango and lemon.

Courses Run in School

Any farmer of any age can enroll in various courses running in the school free of cost . Apart from vermicomposting and production of earthworms there are various schools of learning like mushroom production ,dairy farming, vegetable farming ,biogas plant setup, terrace gardening, poultry farming, pisciculture , apiculture, organic pesticide production, animal fodder production and farmer rights protection information. The school will provide training to farmers as per their field of interest. 

Milestones

The school's achievements doesn't stop here. It has fabricated jackets and rakhis through the fibres of amari and chench bhaji  and banana. The school is also experimenting on four layer system of farming of fruits and vegetables. In 2013, Australian farmer Krrish and his wife Merilina has visited the school as a part of the research on organic farming. Many farmers from US and Australia have visited the school from time to time. 

Talent needs no recognition rather it makes its own identity like a Shining Star among innumerable stars in the sky. This is applicable for Deendayal Yadav - the founder of Kisan School, a man dedicated for selfless service in the field of farming.

 Chandrakali Markam - A light of Change

Just like other women, born into a poor Adivasi family, Chandrakali Markam didn't have much choices to live until she took the charge of her own life and set an example in her community through the power of micro-enterprise. 

An Introduction

Dindori a small district of Madhya Pradesh bordering Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh, is having a large area which is densely forested where one can find mobile network also with difficulty. Moreover Naxalites also pose a greater threat there. In spite of all these difficulties Chandrakali Markam is visiting many inaccessible and remote villages of the area with a motto to make the women of those areas self sufficient. 

Chandrakali belongs to a poor adivasi family of Agariya tribe in Barga, a small village in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. Just like other woman she was spending a marginalised ,powerless life with a little connection to the outer world till she joined a self help group run by an organisation "Pradaan" secretly.

Pointing to old days, she reminds" life was actually very hard those days. " She was married at the age of 11. It was just impossible to run the family on low wages of rupees 20 per day. In spite the fact that they had a small patch of land ,still it was left uncultivated because of lack of money to buy seeds. The men travelled for in search of work.

The start of change

Chandrakali left the school at the age of 11 after studying class five. When she protested that she will not leave the school, her father scolded her not to study as she is a girl. When she was 19 years old she joined a self help group secretly. This was the first step towards change. Gradually she started saving Rs 1 every week and also motivated other women for savings. 

The baby step

In year 2006,Chandrakali stepped in the field of poultry farming for landless families by making a Cooperative farm with governments assistance. In the earlier stage, 60 people joined the group. Today more than 500 women across 23 villages have joined this business under the expert guidance of Chandrakali. They are doing business with turnover in crores and were able to save 8 lakh rupees in 2019-20.

Chandrakali only knows how to put up signatures but she is running successfully the -poultry business. She has kept accountants and manager for managing the business and the whole business is being done in Hindi. She has even formed Federation by combining 507 self help groups across 23 villages.

Magic of attitude

Chandrakali is now working towards acknowledging the efforts of women farmers and rewarding them with proper wages." Although women farmers are doing more work than their male counterparts, still they are not acknowledged and given credit. " she says. For this purpose she has made one cooperative society with the name "Halchalit Mahila Kisan". She also advocates higher education for women of adivasi regions. To generate alternate sources of income , she motivates mushroom cultivation and kitchen garden also.

Awards

She bagged numerous awards for her excellence in the field of micro enterprise but the prominent one is women Exemplar award in the category of micro enterprise being awarded by confederation of Indian industries (CII) in 2020.

Chandrakali is the face of change in rising India amidst of all the factors  like poverty and lack of resources. She is a change maker not only for her community but for entire women as she dared to step out in outer world and made her identity.

 Bastar se Baazar tak - The Story Behind

Bastar se Bazaar tak - the name has gained so popularity that it doesn't needs introduction. An innovative startup from Chhattisgarh - a densely forested state from central India which is rapidly making it's identity in the field of startup's and innovations. The social enterprise is aiming to generate employment oppurtunities for the rural women especially to poorest rural women in interior areas of southern Chhattisgarh. The enterprise is managing post harvest produce by making various processed food products after collection from forest and making arrangements for their marketing.

An Introduction to the Founders

Haresh kashyap is a progressive farmer who is a role model for his fellow farmers known for his down to earth nature and progressive practices in farming since 30 years. He is basically a self motivated learner believing in adopting various practices for experimentation. He is the main brain behind this venture and also the founder taking charge of planning and operations of the venture.

An alumni of Azim Premji University and a self inspired, goal oriented person, Satendra Singh Lilhare is the Co Founder of Bastar se Baazar tak. He has an experience of 7 years as a freelancer and possess great zeal to work with marginal farmers, poor and neglected sections of society in the remotest part of the country. He has much experience in working at grassroot level in farming and farm based products and passionate about working in this field. He is managing and executing all the operations at the venture.

Collaborations

Bastar se Bazaar tak has got seed funding from many organizations as well as collaborated with many institutions due to it's noble cause. Upaya Social venture and women on Wings are one of them. Upaya has join hands with the venture to facilitate funds for the expansion of their bussiness whereas Women on Wings has collaborated with them to create more employment opprtunities for poor and marginal women as the venture has mostly poor women workers.

The Working  

The Chhattisgarh based enterprise is working to improve the economic condition of poor forest dwellers and the tribal community by managing the post harvest losses, making of high quality forest produce and providing the same to urban people at reasonable rate. Bastar se Baazar tak is promoting the  high quality, unadulterated products made from Jamun, tamarind ,custard Apple and and make herbal gulal too. The members of the community are collecting custard apple and jamun from forest and prepare products like squash ,slice, kulfi and shots from them in their central processing unit. The products can be consumed upto 18 months from packaging. They claim that the products are free from any chemicals. They will start processing tamarind soon and make products from it.

Funding and Prizes

Bastar se Baazar tak is the winner of  Tata Social Enterprise Challenge 2020-21, a joint initiative of Tata group and Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata bagging a seed funding of Rs. 5 lakhs at Kolkata Innovation Park. Satendra Singh Lilhare has also won Chhattisgarh MSME Resilience Award 2021 given by Chattisgarh Government in the category of livelihood enterprises for his venture. The Incubation centre of Indira Gandhi krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur has also given a grant of 25 lakhs under Udbhav Yojana for the entrepreneurs working in the field of farming and related products whose products are ready to use.

The venture is not only creating employment opportunities for these poor people in the densely forested area but also making a difference in their lives. The venture is creating employment for nearly 300 women for 90 days and hope to extend these opportunities even more. the headquarter of the enterprise is situated at Lakhanpuri in East Bastar. Hats off to the entrepreneurs and their efforts capable of creating a difference in the lives of the poor people.

 

 Innovative Startups in Chhattisgarh

Namrata Diwakar and Ravikant Soni, these names may not be very popular but soon they are going to be set a benchmark in the field of innovations in textiles and medicated fabrics in Chhattisgarh. This pharmacist couple has prepared a natural scented fabric from waste of lemongrass, citronella and rice hay which is insect repellent in nature. This fabric has a particular smell which is capable of repelling mosquitoes, lizards and other insects. This unique fabric cures depression also.

Journey of Research

It seems to be so lucrative but the journey of the innovation was not so easy. It took almost 6 years research for the production of this fabric. Namrata along with Ravikant are pharmacy graduates. When the idea of making medicated fabric sparked in their mind, there was absolutely no background support for it. After extensive research they were first able to manufacture fabric made of lemongrass and citronella whose smell lasted for one year. Slowly when they advanced in their research, the sweet smell developed in the fabric is now lasting for 3 to 5 years. The cloth is so aromatic in nature that as we enter in a room with curtains or bedsheets made of this material, our mind get refreshed and tension free and there are ample proofs of this research.

The Journey Ahead

After extensive research the challenge ahead was designing an appropriate machine for its production. There was no machine present in the market which can produce yarn for this fabric. They contacted various top engineering colleges and IIT'S of various states for machine design but didn't succeeded. Finally they purchased various parts of machine from various places and assembled them to make the final model of machine. They developed three prototype models before arriving at the final model. The final model is capable of spinning , extraction and smoothening of yarn which is then sent to Rajkot for production of fabric. For developing the machine, the innovators contacted artisans across eight states including IIT Kharagpur experts. The machine costed around 12 to 15 lacs and it can produce about 12000 meters of cloth in a day. They have patented both the fabric and the machine. 

Ravikant told that they are collecting raw material from Pondicherry and Uttar Pradesh ,not limiting their suppliers to one place. The agriculture college has also helped them a lot by setting up a plant in 30 Acres in Koria from where they collect plants.

The Success Story

Namrata while talking, told that during studies she came across medicinal plants. Using this as a core idea, they started their startup of Rayush Naturals. They got a total of 22 lakhs fund from various Institutions like IGKV, Startup India ,Seed Global accelerator Network and others. Ravikant told that their product details are also available at the James portal of Central Government. Also they have got orders for curtains of their fabric for the incubation centre being developed by Gujarat government in association with Central government . At present they are fabricating curtains, cushions and carpets. The prominent dancer Mallika Sarabhai- the daughter of Vikram Sarabhai has also contacted them for ordering curtains. They have also visited Dubai Expo in February 2022 with the help of Central Government where they were contacted by a Hotel Manager. 

At present the innovators are focusing at premium customers as the average cost of fabric is more. They are exploring more options for export. Nature lovers also have an excellent opportunity to try this fabric. 

Innovation is not overnight, it is a journey in itself. The various milestones of the journey are actually the stepping stones of success and the destination is self fulfilling in itself which is shown by the story of Rayush naturals.

 

The proto village of Andhra Pradesh

Tekulodu, a small village near Chillamatturoo in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh is like a dream village for everyone who believe in village empowerment and decentralization for the good of nation. The village has made its identity as a proto village since 2014 as it is role a model showcasing self sufficiency in the field of food ,water, electricity, sanitation and education.

The models developed in Tekulodu  emphasizes on fulfilling all the basic needs along with maintaining the ecological balance which is a beautiful example of self sufficiency along with mutual sharing of resources.

Kalyan Akkipeddi, a name well known to every social entrepreneur in the country - a former engineer who quit his job to make a barren land an ideal village. The story itself sounds like dream come true. The village has gained immense popularity over a span of four years due to the vision of this young entrepreneur.

The  Stunning Story

About 120 km from Bengaluru, lies the village Tekulodu in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The model of self-sufficiency along with ecological sustainability which the village presents surpasses the glory of many social movements. Since the village is a prototype of an ideal village hence it is named as proto village.

The proto village emphasizes on 9 basic elements or needs as a foundation for community development – food, shelter, water, healthcare, clothing, energy, education, trade, connectivity and disaster management - all in communion with nature. Sustainability and self-sufficiency is their main motto.

Kalyan Akkipeddi, inspired by the simple living of innocent tribal people, decided to took up this barren land for his social experiment. He purchased some land, a few kilometers from Tekulodu near his hometown and started doing organic farming on it. He chose one of the farmers as intern for this experiment.

Within a short span of time, the farmer witnessed a rise in income nearly 20 times of the previous income which inspired other farmers to work on this project. The farmers started using solar pumps for irrigating the fields along with practicing organic farming under the guidance of Kalyan Akkipeddi. The rainwater draining down earlier was now collected in small Ponds in low lying areas and stored for community use. Very soon village became popular as the prototype of a model village.

The Ideology of Village

The proto village has its roots deeply inserted in the field of community service and eradication of racial discrimination. The village has its own community kitchen in which both men and women cook the food without worrying about caste and creed. The women especially are so happy and satisfied here as they enjoy equal rights and opportunities and have ample time to learn something new of their choice.

The learning centre of the village is named after the Japanese philosophy of life called Ikigai. Ikigai emphasizes on earning livelihood which not only generates income but gives a sense of lifelong satisfaction. People here in the village are indulged in farming, poultry, soap making, furniture making and collection of forest produce. The level of satisfaction in the people here is so high that they never wish to migrate to cities for any luxuries.

Education as a Pillar

Tekulodu has a strong vision for education. Its quest for education can be seen from the fact that it has its own Wi-Fi network with the self made syllabus affiliated by IGCSE board with children studying there without being distributed in any specific class or standard. Education model of village relies on sharing of intellectual resources. The children here are experts in various subjects from coding to Japanese language only because of the fact that village welcomes many volunteers who live in village for some time and offer a kind of training or intellectual sharing to the children.

Employment

The village is self sufficient in terms of survival and meeting their own needs however Akkipeddi and his wife Shobhita are working on a three-stage plan called “Grammam Yojana” which will be implemented till 2024.The plan includes developing a Swadeshi or local brand by joining about 8000 women from nearby villages and generating employment by making soap and many food items. In this plan, women will be involved in each step and in every activity- right from horticulture, soap making and marketing food items.

Entertainment

The village has its own Open Theatre in which various cultural programs are being conducted at the village level periodically.

Very soon proto village is going to offer intern program for village youth to learn and implement the same in their villages as a part of Social entrepreneurship. What a miraculous and noble effort by a single man who not only transformed a village but the lives of people. Tekulodu  picturizes the real image of an ideal village in India.