After spending more than 30 years in turning a sandbar on the Brahmaputra River in Assam into a lush green forest successfully, an ardent lover of nature is now planning to repeat his performance on another sandbar on the mighty river.
In 1979, Jadav Payeng, now popularly known as “Forest Man”, from Jorhat district, had been a member of the forest team entrusted with the task of planting trees on a barren sandbar on the Brahmaputra river as part of a project of the Social Forestry division of the Assam Government. Then Payeng worked there as a labourer. But his motivation to see that barren land into a green forest prevented him from moving out. Even after the project was over,
Payeng stayed back and started growing trees and bamboos on the sandbar. The meticulous labour did bear fruits and the barren sandbar is now a lush green forest.
The sandbar, which was used to be known as Aruna Chapori earlier, is now known as Mulai Kathoni — a tribute to Payeng’s efforts (Mulai is the nickname of Payeng and Kathoni means small forest in Assamese). The forest has become an example of the man’s love for nature.
Payeng relentless efforts were noticed by the Assam forest department in 2008 after the department recognised that the sandbar had turned into a forest. The sandbar, comprising about 550 hectares of land, has over one lakh trees and is home to leopards, rabbits, apes, birds, snakes, vultures, deer, wild boars and wild buffalos.
“I have recently seen another such barren sandbar on the river and I am planning to start working on it soon. It might take another 30 years, but I am hopeful that I would be able to turn it into forest again,” said 52-year old Payeng.
“It is heartening for me to see people felling trees. We must stop felling of trees. I ask every body to plant at least two trees in his lifetime. This will save Mother Nature,” Payeng said, adding that mankind will live only when nature is saved.
Payeng’s efforts assume significance considering the depleting forest cover in Assam and other Northeastern States. A recent report released by Forest Survey of India last year revealed that the State had lost forest cover to the extent of 19 sq km between 2009 and 2011. The decrease is largely attributed to human encroachment.
The efforts of Payeng have been recognised globally as well. He was invited to the 7th edition of the Global Conference of the International Forum for Sustainable Development held in France last year. He was also honoured by the School of Environmental Sciences of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).