- Brings 13,000 acres of previously unproductive land in Palghar district under green cover
- Plans to plant an additional one million trees in the next 3 months to conserve biodiversity and mitigate distressed migration among farmers
Mumbai, 18th June 2024: Tata Motors has launched a transformative mission in Maharashtra’s tribal interiors with its One Million Plantation initiative. This ambitious project aims to revitalize the Palghar district by planting saplings of hope for local communities. To date, 1.5 million fruit and forest saplings have been planted, covering 13,000 acres across eight blocks, transforming once-barren land into flourishing greenery.
As part of the Integrated Village Development Programme (IVDP), Tata Motors’ initiative addresses distress migration and generates sustainable income for local communities. This is achieved through leveraging the MNREGs scheme for sapling aftercare and eventual produce sales. Over 13,000 farmers have benefited, converting 13,000 acres of unutilized farmland into productive orchards (Wadis). These efforts have also provided nutrition-rich fruits, improving the health and nutrition levels of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the region.
In this collaborative model, Tata Motors supports the cost of saplings, while technical support and training are provided by the BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development (BISLD). The government, via MNREGs, funds a significant part of the project cost as wages for the aftercare of saplings. These wages are directly transferred to the farmers’ accounts, based on the survival rate of the saplings.
Vinod Kulkarni, CSR Head at Tata Motors, stated, “The One Million Plantation initiative can be viewed as a twin-pronged strategy – to strengthen our economy and ecosystems – by nurturing both the land and the lives. This initiative symbolizes our firm dedication to supporting Indian tribal communities by creating sustainable livelihoods. As the monsoon sets in, we are on course to add another One Million Trees to the Palghar district’s natural habitat. Our collaboration with BISLD and the state government demonstrates our shared vision and commitment towards nation-building. Together, we are not just planting trees; we are cultivating hope for a greener and more prosperous tomorrow.”
In 2018-19, Tata Motors piloted the livelihood-based Wadi model, which involved tree-based farming by planting fruit and forestry trees alongside appropriate intercrops on barren or underused land. Under the pilot, 100 fruit trees (primarily mango and cashew) and 100 forestry trees were planted per acre in Palghar district. The success of this model inspired its large-scale replication through the One Million Plantation drive. Both initiatives have served the dual purpose of creating revenue sources for the communities and enriching the biodiversity in the project areas.
