Shyam Sunder Jyani

Last updated

Shyam Sunder Jyani
Born1979
Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation Environmentalist

Shyam Sunder Jyani (born 1979 [1] ) is an Indian environmentalist and academic, best known for afforestation efforts in the Indian state of Rajasthan. He is presently an associate professor of sociology at Dungar College, Bikaner. [2]

Contents

Biography

He originated from a rural farming family in the village of 12 TK, Sri Ganganagar district. [3] [4] His involvement in environmental activities began in 2003, when he and some students revived a number of dying neem trees within Dungar College's campus. [5] [6] According to Jyani in a 2023 interview, his initial efforts faced initial resistance from other teachers (typically members of the upper caste, accusing him of attempting to steal college land), but received support from students, especially those hailing from Other Backward Class and scheduled castes. [7]

Afterwards, he began campaigning door-to-door for tree planting in Bikaner, [6] and in 2006, he formulated the idea of "Familial Forestry", which involves local families by encouraging them to plant fruit trees at their homes as a "green member". The idea was launched at the village of Himtasar, where 120 households were part of the pilot project. The choice of fruit trees allowed the anti-desertification campaign to serve an additional purpose of improving the local villagers' nutrition. [8] [9] According to Jyani, educating the families on the benefits and the after-planting care of the trees increased the saplings' survival rate from 20–30% to 90%. [9]

In order to further extend the campaign's reach, he incorporated the activity of tree planting in activities like Diwali. [4] A mobile app has also been released to increase awareness of the afforestation drive and its benefits. [8] On Gandhi's 150th birthday in 2019, he enrolled 150 schools in Rajasthan and their students in a tree-planting drive. [10] [11] His efforts have seen planting of more than 2.5 million saplings in north-western Rajasthan by 1 million families across 15,000 villages by 2021, [12] with the greenery being visible from satellite imagery as a "green wall" at the margins of the Thar Desert. [11] By 2023, 3.8 million saplings had been planted. [7] Most of the plants and necessary irrigation tanks were purchased on his own expense. [3] [10] In a 2021 interview with Deutsche Welle , he has also stated plans to expand tree-planting efforts to major cities. [13]

Promotion of millets

In 2023, the International Year of Millets, Jyani began to promote the use of millets, especially in traditional rituals such as marriage ceremonies and religious fairs. [14] He also orchestrated an inaugural "Raabri Day" on 23 May 2023, with Raabri being a millet-based drink. [15] [16]

Awards and honors

In recognition of his work, he was awarded the Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme Award in 2012, [5] [10] and later the Land for Life Award from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2021. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajasthan</span> State in Northwestern India

Rajasthan is a state in northern India. It covers 342,239 square kilometres (132,139 sq mi) or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern side, where it comprises most of the wide and inhospitable Thar Desert and shares a border with the Pakistani provinces of Punjab to the northwest and Sindh to the west, along the Sutlej-Indus River valley. It is bordered by five other Indian states: Punjab to the north; Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the northeast; Madhya Pradesh to the southeast; and Gujarat to the southwest. Its geographical location is 23°.3' to 30°.12' North latitude and 69°.30' to 78°.17' East longitude, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through its southernmost tip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thar Desert</span> Large arid region in India and Pakistan

The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi) in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-largest hot subtropical desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikaner</span> City in Rajasthan, India

Bikaner is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located 330 kilometres (205 mi) northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division.

Churu is a city in the desert region of Rajasthan state of India. It is known as the gateway to the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarter of Churu District. It lies in the Thar Desert on the National Highway 52 connecting Sangrur to Ankola and is a junction station on the railway line to Bikaner. It is near the shifting sand dunes of the Thar Desert and has grand havelis with marvelous fresco paintings, namely Kanhaiya Lal Bagla Ki Haweli and Surana Haweli, with hundreds of small windows. It also has some fine Chhatris. Near the town is a religious seat of the Nath sect of Sadhus where there are life-size marble statues of their deities and a place for prayers. At the center of the town is a fort built about 500 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afforestation</span> Establishment of trees where there were none previously

Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees (forestation) in an area where there was no recent tree cover. In comparison, reforestation means re-establishing forest that have either been cut down or lost due to natural causes, such as fire, storm, etc. There are three types of afforestation: natural regeneration, agroforestry, commercial plantations. There are several benefits from afforestation such as carbon sequestration, increasing rainfall, prevention of topsoil erosion, flood and landslide mitigation, barriers against high winds, shelter for wildlife, employment and alternative sources of wood products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishnoi</span> Indian religious sect or community

Bishnoi, also known as Vishnoi, is a Hindu community found in the Western Thar Desert and northern states of India. They follow a set of 29 principles/commandments given by Guru Jambheshwar (1451–1536). As of 2010, there are an estimated 600,000 followers of Bishnoi Panth residing in north and central India. Shree Guru Jambheshwar founded the sect at Samrathal Dhora in 1485 and his teachings, comprising 120 shabads, are known as Shabadwani. He preached for the next 51 years, travelling across India. The preaching of Guru Jambhoji inspires his followers as well as environmental protectors. Bishnoi sect admitted members from a variety of communities including Jats, Banias, Charans, Rajputs, and Brahmins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indira Gandhi Canal</span> Longest canal in India

The Indira Gandhi Canal is the longest canal in India. It starts at the Harike Barrage near Harike, a few kilometers downriver from the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in Punjab state, and ends in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in the northwest of Rajasthan state. Previously known as the Rajasthan Canal, it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal on 2 November 1984 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Arid Zone Research Institute</span> Research institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research

The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) is one of the biggest research institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an autonomous organization working under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of Government of India. CAZRI has the distinction of being one of the first institutes in the world exclusively devoted to arid zone research and development. The institute made a humble beginning in 1952 when Government of India initiated Desert Afforestation Research Station at Jodhpur to carry out research on sand dune stabilization and for establishment of shelter belt plantations to arrest wind erosion. It was reorganized as Desert Afforestation and Soil Conservation Station in 1957 and finally in its present form Central Arid Zone Research Institute in 1959 on recommendation of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) expert, Prof. C.S. Christian of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia. In 1966, the institute was brought under the administrative control of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi.

<i>Capparis decidua</i> Species of tree

Capparis decidua, commonly known as karira, is a useful plant in its marginal habitat.

<i>Vachellia jacquemontii</i> Species of legume

Vachellia jacquemontii is a species of plant native to the Thar Desert of India and Pakistan. The species name refers to French botanist Victor Jacquemont. It grows as an erect shrub or small tree, usually 6 feet (1.8 m) to 10 feet (3.0 m) high, with multiple shoots coming from below ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social forestry in India</span>

Social forestry is the management and protection of forests and afforestation of barren and deforested lands with the purpose of helping environmental, social and rural development. The term social forestry was first used in 1976 by The National Commission on Agriculture, when the government of India aimed to reduce pressure on forests by planting trees on all unused and fallow lands. It was intended as a democratic approach to forest conservation and usage, maximizing land utilization for multiple purposes.

The Great Green Wall, officially known as the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, also known as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, is a series of human-planted windbreaking forest strips (shelterbelts) in China, designed to hold back the expansion of the Gobi Desert, and provide timber to the local population. The program started in 1978, and is planned to be completed around 2050, at which point it will be 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narpat Singh Rajvi</span> Indian politician

Narpat Singh Rajvi is a five-time sitting Member of Legislative Assembly from Vidhyadhar Nagar constituency representing Bharatiya Janata Party and a senior politician from the Indian state of Rajasthan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert greening</span> Process of man-made reclamation of deserts

Desert greening is the process of afforestation or revegetation of deserts for ecological restoration (biodiversity), sustainable farming and forestry, but also for reclamation of natural water systems and other ecological systems that support life. The term "desert greening" is intended to apply to both cold and hot arid and semi-arid deserts. It does not apply to ice capped or permafrost regions. It pertains to roughly 32 million square kilometres of land. Deserts span all seven continents of the Earth and make up nearly a fifth of the Earth's landmass, areas that recently have been increasing in size. As some of the deserts expand and global temperatures increase, the different methods of desert greening may provide a potential solution. Planting suitable flora in deserts has a range of environmental benefits from carbon sequestration to providing habitat for native desert fauna to generating employment opportunities to creation of habitable areas for local communities. The prevention of land desertification is one of 17 sustainable development objectives outlined by the United Nations, desert greening is a process that aims to not only combat desertification but to foster an environment where plants can create a sustainable environment for all forms of life while preserving its integrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottu barrage</span> Dam in Sirsa, Haryana

The Ottu barrage, sometimes spelled as the Otu barrage and also known as Ottu Head, is a masonry weir on the Ghaggar-Hakra River in Sirsa, Haryana state of India that creates a large water reservoir out of the formerly-small Dhanur lake, located near the village of Ottu, which is about 8 miles from Sirsa City in Haryana, India. It is a feeder for the two Ghaggar canals that carry irrigation water to northern Haryana state. In 2002, a new tourist complex was inaugurated at the barrage, and it was given the honorary name of "Chaudhary Devi Lal Weir" to commemorate the former Chief Minister of Haryana state, Chaudhary Devi Lal. The Dhanur lake reservoir is now often referred to simply as the Ottu reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulsi Gowda</span> Indian environmentalist

Tulsi Gowda is an Indian environmentalist from Honnali village, Ankola taluk in Karnataka state. She has planted more than 30,000 saplings and looks after the nurseries of the Forest Department. Her work has been honoured by the Government of India and other organisations. In 2021, the Government of India awarded her the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award. She is known as the "Encyclopedia of the Forest" for her ability to recognise the mother tree of any species of tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arid Forest Research Institute</span> Indian forest research institute

Arid Forest Research Institute (ICFRE-AFRI) is a research institute situated in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The institute conducts scientific research in forestry in order to provide technologies to increase the vegetative cover and to conserve biodiversity in the hot arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It helps to provide data and information to prevent and mitigate water scarcity related problems which affect the environment and people.It operates under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suswani Mataji</span> Kuldevi of Dugar and Surana gotras

Suswani Mataji also known as Susani Mata or Susvani Mata is a regional Hindu as well Jain goddess, popular in Rajasthan state of India. She is regarded as incarnation of Durga and worshipped by many Jain and Hindu communities.

Yin Yuzhen is a Chinese woman known for her personal efforts to combat desertification over the course of 30 years.

Olive production in India is concentrated in the state of Rajasthan. Olives are not native to India. Olive production in the country began in 2007 when olive saplings were imported from Israel and planted in the Thar Desert. The first olive yield in India occurred in 2012, and commercial olive oil production began in September 2013. The first Indian-made olive oil brand called Raj Oil was launched on 9 November 2016. India produced 150 tonnes of olives in 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "On My Radar: Hema Malini Becomes 'Durga' In Varanasi". The Sunday Guardian . 1 January 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Government Dungar College, Bikaner – Faculty Profile" (PDF). Dungar College . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Desert areas of Rajasthan bloom under afforestation efforts". Mongabay India. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  4. 1 2 "For this Rajasthan village, green Diwali means shunning firecrackers, planting trees". Hindustan Times . 17 October 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Green Hero: राजस्थान में हरियाली के लिए एक प्रोफ़ेसर 15 साल से लगा है, परिवारों को पेड़ों से जोड़ता है". Indiatimes.com (in Hindi). 2 October 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  6. 1 2 Dutta, Prabhash K. (5 June 2020). "World Environment Day special: A sociology professor is making deserts bloom as forests in Rajasthan". India Today. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  7. 1 2 Zaffar, Hanan (6 January 2023). "Meet the Tree Man of India's Thar desert". FairPlanet. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 "A sociology teacher in Rajasthan's Bikaner driving forestry revolution". Hindustan Times . 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Familal Forest' a boon for Bikaner". The Times of India. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 Bhattacharya, Imana (3 October 2019). "Saplings of change". Deccan Chronicle . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  11. 1 2 Chatterjee, Dev (24 January 2020). "Green wall of Bikaner: Professor plants trees to prevent desertification". Business Standard . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  12. ↑ "Indian climate activist gets prestigious UN land conservation award". India Today. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Familial Forestry in India: Caring for trees like they're family". DW. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Rajasthani wedding revives rural families' sweet ties with millets". Times of India.
  15. ↑ "People of Rajasthan returning to their roots celebrating Rabri Day and promoting millets". Kisan Tak.
  16. ↑ "Consumption of Rabri together across the country including western Rajasthan, protest against cold drinks". Dainik Bhaskar.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.