Some people say that it’s too late to take care of the environment.
Well, a man has proved these people wrong with his amazing effort. Majuli, the world’s largest river island, had always been a dry and lifeless land in Northern India, but this all changed when one milk seller challenge to change the landscape and its environment.
The man was able to change the lifeless desert into a green forest full of trees.
Jadav Payeng was 16 years old when he witnessed a sad scene, he saw numerous dead snakes that were spread along the edges of Majuli Island, an island on the Brahmaputra River. A flood had dragged the creatures to the island where they died due to the heat and lack of shade.
Jadav was shocked at the scene and after witnessing this terrible site he decided to commit his life to revive the dry, barren island by planting a tree every day. A small resolution and a dream that started in 1979, ended up becoming the Mulay Forest 40 years later. The land is bigger than Central Park and more than 12 times the size of Vatican City.
Thanks to Jadav’s tremendous effort, the forest has helped to preserve the local ecosystem and native wildlife. It’s now home to Bengal tigers, deer, rhinos, vultures, elephants, and of course, snakes. The afforestation dream has also made Majuli safer due to the trees anchoring the island to the mainland and protecting the area from erosion.
His amazing feat was made known to the world thanks to an Indian photojournalist Jitu Kalita who discovered the unknown forest while on a trip to photograph birds back in 2007. It would also be an unknown feat if it wasn’t for Jitu Kalita’s documentary about Jadav’s achievement in Forest Man.
Thanks to the documentary, Jadav’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed and his work has been recognized by the former President of India who gave him the title of “Forest Man of India.”
What do you think about Jadav’s amazing work? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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