Trees for Villagers

Aim 

• To reduce air pollution by mitigating atmospheric carbon with the plantation of trees and decrease the risk of diseases from polluted air
• To improve aesthetic value, attract birds and other arboreal species
• To improve the soil condition, check surface water run-off, and improve the deteriorating groundwater table of the region
• To spread awareness in rural communities about the need for improving tree cover in Punjab
• To enhance the socio-economic status of the rural communities by providing alternate means of resources and employment with the plantation of NTFPs (Non-Timber Forest Produce)  

Why Trees
“To promote sustainable development of forest resources in the State, Haryana Government framed its own Forest Policy in 2006. The policy had fixed the goal of achieving 20% Forest and Tree Cover in the state in a phased manner. Total Forest and Tree cover of the State as per State of Forests Report, 2011, published by Forest Survey of India has become 6.80%. State of Haryana has very little scope for extending area under the regular Forests. The department is laying great emphasis on promoting Farm-forestry, Agro-forestry and afforestation of wasteland for increasing the Tree Cover.”, states the Haryana Forest Department. It is crucial for the NGOs and social enterprises to step up and assist the Government in achieving the aim of increasing the forest cover. In order to attain sustainability, everyone needs to act. 
Research by the Central Ground Water Board while discussing the dependency of the Fatehabad district on other regions mentions that, “The principal source of ground water recharge is rainfall. However, major part of the rainfall is lost as run off and evapo-transpiration. A fraction of rainfall percolates down and recharges the ground water system. The other factors contributing to ground water recharge are inflow of ground water from north eastern parts, percolation from surface water bodies like ponds, seepage from canals and return flow of irrigation water. The area along the Ghaggar is underlain by recent flood plains, which is hydraulically connected with river and is getting recharge from the river during floods.” These geographically planned trees shall help in conservation and development of water resources across the district. Building checks for soil erosion around river catchments and forests, the trees will further help to improve the holding capacity of the soil.
Green revolution has changed the traditional rain fed crop to wheat, rice and other commercial crops in Haryana, Punjab and Western UP. Increased extraction of ground water for irrigation has substantially contributed to ‘green revolution’ and enhanced food supply but at the same time it has led to depletion of ground water (Scanlon et al. 2007; Gun, 2012). This also led to massive deforestation projects in the region, heightening the pressure on other natural resources. Similarly, The air quality of Fatehabad gets worse at times even than the national capital of Delhi; with an air quality index of 499 marking in ‘severe’ category (Times of India, Nov 3,  2019). 

Tree species 
The project includes plantation of resistant local species such as Neem (Azadirachta indica), Sohjana (Moringa oleifera), Baheda (Terminalia bellirica), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Sheesam (Dalbergia sissoo), Jamun (Syzygium cumini), Burma drek (Melia spp.) and Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris). 

Social Impact
Sustainable resource management with finite resources is a major challenge for the district, thus, ever-increasing energy demand with a growing population, the relevance of land use planning is apparent. The land has limited carrying capacity beyond which there will be degradation and loss of productivity due to excessive use. Emphasis is to be given to the problem of rural communities, especially those below the poverty line in whose hands this resource has to be efficiently utilized and whose minimum needs the efficient use of such resources is meant to serve. Thus, the plantation of the right local tree species in association with our local planting partner, can be an effective way to address this socio-environmental challenge by reclaiming wasteland and degraded lands into forests. Locals' dependency on the forest resources can be checked with improved forest produces and fruit and fodder species for livestock. Improved wildlife habitat with fruit and fodder species will have significance in helping the rural communities in maintain the health of their livestock without much financial stress. Above all, the plantation of 25,000 local trees will help in improving the water table, check top-soil erosion, increase carbon sequestration potential, generate local employment with household-level participation in implementing and monitoring of the project and in improving the ecosystem services.