Daijiworld Media Network – Ranchi

Ranchi, Aug 27: Thousands of villagers across Jharkhand will celebrate Raksha Bandhan with a unique pledge to protect nature, tying rakhis to around one lakh trees in 700 villages on Friday.

The initiative is part of the month-long ‘Save Tree’ campaign, which aims to cover around three lakh trees across villages in all 24 districts of the state, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sanjiv Kumar said.

Kumar will inaugurate the campaign by tying a rakhi to a tree at Jorad village in Gumla district on Friday.

Drawing a parallel between the bond shared by brothers and sisters and the relationship between people and nature, Kumar said Raksha Bandhan was an opportunity to take a pledge to protect the environment.

“Raksha Bandhan is a festival for brothers and sisters. On this day, brothers pledge to protect their sisters. It is also our supreme duty to protect the environment upon which our lives depend,” Kumar said.

The campaign seeks to create an emotional connection between villagers and trees by encouraging people to tie rakhis and pledge to protect them. Around one lakh trees are expected to be covered on Raksha Bandhan, while the campaign will continue for a month with a target of three lakh trees.

The initiative, conceived by Kumar, was launched in 2004 in Lukaiya village of Tundi block in Dhanbad district, which was once affected by Maoist activities. Since then, more than 12,000 villages across Jharkhand have been associated with the programme.

Kumar said the campaign had helped protect more than 20,000 Mahua trees in Lukaiya village. The trees have since contributed significantly to the livelihoods of local residents, while similar efforts in other villages have helped promote minor forest produce and strengthen rural incomes.

He also said the initiative had contributed to increasing Jharkhand’s forest cover. According to the Forest Survey of India, the state’s forest cover has been rising over the past several years.