Green Bodoland Mission: Youth-led drive to reclaim forest cover and combat climate change in Assam's BTR

IMPHAL: Assams Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) government has embarked on an ambitious mission to reverse the loss of forest cover, with a sense of urgency akin to a war effort. As many as 360 youth clubs have been designated as Green Brigades to carry out afforestation and implement environmentally friendly measures in a mission-mode approach. The BTR government launched the Green Bodoland Mission, citing global warming among the key concerns. A wide variety of tree species, including flowering plants, timber species, fruit-bearing trees, and medicinal plants, have been planted across multiple locations. The initiative has seen active participation from the Green Brigades, which have played a crucial role in community mobilisation, awareness generation, and fostering a sense of local ownership of the plantations. Officials said the autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Legislative Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution, moved by BTCs Chief Executive Member Pramod Boro, titled Green Bodoland Mission Reclaiming the Climate for a Resilient and Sustainable Future in BTR, in December 2023. The main objectives include plantation drives across 2,000 hectares in BTR, reduction of plastic pollution with an aim to ban single-use plastic, and sustainable groundwater management for a resilient future. Manoranjan Das, Director of the Green Bodoland Mission, told TNIE , that over 3.2 lakh saplings have already been planted across community and forest lands during a series of drives. One of the main reasons behind the mission was global warming. Bodoland may appear green, but according to our statistics, there has been a 14 per cent loss of forest cover, which amounts to nearly 44,000 hectares, Das explained. He cited deforestation and encroachment as the primary causes of forest loss. We involved 360 youth clubs, comprising around 6,000 volunteers. We believed their involvement would increase the survival rate of the plants, which is normally quite low, he said. To encourage participation, members of the Green Brigades are given cash incentives for managing the plants. Generally, people are hesitant to come forward if there is no benefit for them, Das noted. Under the Green Bodoland Mission, the BTR government has adopted 25 villages and undertaken four types of plantations, environmentally important plants, economically valuable species, ecologically sustainable ornamental plants, and medicinal plants. In villages located near tourist sites, the government prioritised planting ornamental species to enhance the visual appeal and promote tourism. Elsewhere, timber-yielding trees were primarily planted. We formed a Green Committee in every village. Ten years after the plantation of timber trees, the trees will become assets for the villagers, who can earn a substantial amount from selling them, Das said. According to him, the mission is delivering dual benefits, generating livelihoods for the villagers while addressing the pressing issue of global warming.