Since 2019, a whopping 130 crore saplings have been planted across the country under Jal Shakti Abhiyan, the union government data has revealed. This is nearly as much as the population of India. More than 1 crore water-related works (water harvesting structures) have also been undertaken in the past 5 years.
In the period March 2023 to December 2023 alone, 6.64 crore afforestation activities were carried out along with creation of almost 10.6 lakh water harvesting structures, renovation of over 2.5 lakh traditional water bodies and completion of 12.4 lakh watershed development structures among others, as per national water mission, the implementing organisation of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan under department of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation 2023-24.
These numbers are both inspiring and inundating at the same time.
Bharat Bhushan Tyagi, a doyen of natural farming, the sector that gets directly affected by the work under Jal Shakti Abhiyan, said, “These numbers clearly show that there is a strong intent to work in the direction of water conservation, of which afforestation is an important part, and the sector has received the attention it deserves.” Agrees Subhajit Mukherjee, a water hero and ambassador, Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, Maharashtra. “There is no doubt that efforts have increased exponentially in the past 5 years and an awareness has developed in people to plant more and more trees and save water. I have myself planted about 27,000 trees in Mumbai and get requests on a daily basis for such activities,” said Mukherjee.
“Also, there is a considerable increase in creation of water harvesting structures in villages. This is evident when you see ponds in the middle of the agricultural fields during train journeys,” he added.
Amid the renewed interest in water conservation and afforestation in the country, the quantifiable impact of the efforts is what bothers the experts.
Bhim Rawat, an environmentalist and associate coordinator, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, People (SANDRP), said, “There is some positive difference vis-a-vis water conservation efforts in the country, especially the government recognising individuals committed to the cause.”
“But, one cannot entirely trust the numbers, showcased by the government. Numbers can be manipulative, especially in the case of afforestation activities, where the issue of mortality of planted saplings remains a big concern,” added Rawat.
A good number of planted trees gets washed away especially in the monsoon season. There are a lot of factors that ensure the survival rate of the plants is good and varies from state to state and region to region.
Tyagi, who is also a recipient of Padma Shri, added, “There is no paucity of efforts and intent by the government and other stakeholders. But, efforts should also correspond with results. I believe that there is an urgent need to effectively review the outcome of the efforts (including the finances) that are being put in place.”
“In the absence of proper evaluation, data sometimes can be repeated, especially in case of afforestation activities. I think a proper study of the mortality rate of the planted trees should also be done by the government to ascertain the exact outcomes,” said Tyagi.
“Fortunately, the numbers of activities are huge. But what is lacking is impact, which is the true result and is awaited in the near future,” said Mukherjee.
