“In Tamil Nadu, we can plant 1000 crore trees if every farmer plant 50 to 100 trees in their farmlands. When you look at it like that, planting 242 crore trees is not a big deal if the farmers put their mind to it,” said the Thiru. Tamilmaran, Coordinator of the Cauvery Calling Movement. Cauvery Calling is support farmers to plant 242 Cr trees to revitalize the Cauvery basin.

Thiru. Tamilmaran was speaking at the culmination ceremony held in Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at Podanur Coimbatore today (April 2). The ‘Pasumai Thondamuthur’ project organized by Cauvery Calling Movement and Coimbatore Builders and Contractors Association (CEBACA) reached the milestone of planting one lakh saplings today.

The last sapling under the collaboration was planted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan President Shri. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar. He said, “What Sadhguru is doing is a great thing. CEBACA also participated in it. According to me, the awareness about the benefits of planting trees has developed sufficiently among people. So, this is the time to go beyond awareness and develop a sense of responsibility and zeal to act,” he said.

State field coordinator of Cauvery Calling Movement Thiru. Tamilmaran said, “1.30 Crore hectares of land in Tamil Nadu is agricultural land. Out of which 30 lakh hectares of land is barren. If farmers plant 50 to 100 trees each on the border of their farmlands, they have the potential to plant about 1000 crore trees. In that way, planting 242 crore trees in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is not a big deal,” he said.

Similarly, Swami Srimukha, Coordinator of the Save Soil Movement, said, “The Cauvery Calling Movement is working with a target of planting 242 crore trees in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in 12 years. Under the project ‘Pasumai Thondamuthur’ we first distributed and planted one lakh saplings to the farmers in collaboration with the Rotary Society. Following that now the 2nd one lakh tree sapling planting project has been successfully completed with the help of CEBACA. Next, we are working with the Hotel Owners Association to plant another 2 lakh saplings. In this way, if various social welfare organizations come together, the work of planting 242 crore trees can be completed very soon easily,” he said.

Mr. Rajkumar, the grandson of scientific genius GD Naidu and the Managing Director of GEDEE Weiler Company, who participated as a special guest in the ceremony, said, “Usually a lot of trees are cut for construction works including houses. Big cities like Bengaluru have turned into concrete jungles. In this case, it is a great pleasure that one lakh saplings have been planted on agricultural lands on behalf of the Coimbatore Builders and Contractors Association.

The list of people participating in the event included CEBACA administrators, Coimbatore Rotary Association members, and college students.