Home » Almost 40 Years Ago A 16-Year-Old Started Planting A Tree Every Day On A Remote Island, And Now It’s Unrecognizable
Jadav Payeng lives on the biggest river island in the world, Majuli
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The island, however, is under constant threat due to the extensive soil erosion on its banks
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Over the last 70 years, Majuli has shrunk by more than half and there are concerns it will be submerged in the next 20 years
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But its life may have even been shorter if it wasn’t for Jadav
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Everything started in 1979 when he was only 16 years old
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He encountered a large number of snakes that had died due to excessive heat after floods washed them onto the tree-less sandbar
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There and then, Jadav made it his life’s mission to save Majuli from erosion by planting trees
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And he has been doing it every day for the last 39 years
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He has planted 550 hectares of forest – larger than Central Park in New York City (340 hectares)
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And it has become home to many animals
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Including Bengal tigers and Indian rhinoceros
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Even a herd of over 100 elephants regularly visit it every year
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The reason why Majuli is shrinking has a lot to do with the large embankments up the Brahmaputra river
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People built them for protection from everything the monsoon season throws at them
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But the embankments redirect the devastating fury of the river to the island
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To learn more about the “Forest Man of India” and his fight, watch the short documentary below
Many people are already in awe of this capeless hero
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