Go Green Go Organic (G3O), Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), and Green Himalayas launched the Green Solidarity program as a countdown to the 11th phase of the Tree plantation on world environment day on 5th June 2022. The evening also saw the launch of the namesake film documentary “Green Solidarity”. With their agenda to scale up the plantation to a million trees in the Himalayan region, it was exciting to see the gathering of more than 100 citizens, bureaucrats, Army representatives commit to this ambition and collaborate for a greener Ladakh, India and the world.
This event establishes the collaborative drive for the 11th phase of plantation which will concentrate around the Chushul village in Ladakh on 5th June 2022. The drive behind this effort has been to create a trinity of balance between climate change (environment), local and traditional livelihoods (Social) and most importantly entering the picture in this phase - Technology.
In the past plantation has been driven across eastern ends of Ladakh, mainly in the areas of in Durbuk, Tangtse, Tharuk, Shachukul, Phulak, Yerath, Merak, Kargyam, Lalok, Maan, Phobrang, Agyam Nubra, Skurbuchan and Mugleb. These 10 phases have incrementally grown with support from local communities, local administrative council, forest departments, Goba (panchayat), DIHAR and monastics from the region. So far over 3,50,000 saplings of willows, sea buckthorn, tamarisk, poplar have been planted. 3GO has also donated potato and apple saplings to the local communities.
Historically it has been an enriching journey following the 2013 initiation of the project Go Green Go Organics under the blessings of His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.
They were joined by the Green Himalayas team who shared the core mandate to preserve the fragile Himalayan environment. The Himalayas are the world's youngest mountain range and cover a total area of about 595,000 sqkm, with the third largest deposit of ice and snow in the world (after Antarctica and the Arctic). Approximately 1.65 billion people depend on Himalayan glaciers for irrigation, hydropower, and drinking water. And there is a need to care for them because behind the grandeur the Himalayan ecosystem is in poor health, impacted by the consequences of rapid and uncontrolled change – natural and man-made. There is an urgent Call to Action for checks and balances to ensure the future of the Himalayas as they don’t just impact the region but the countries around them and the world climatic balance. The Green Solidarity Movement launched today aims to establish this with the boost of science and technology which will map and track the plantations over the time to come, create databases and transparency for donors, and most importantly link the donors, the custodian villager and the tree, thus creating a seamless relationship by creating a unique identification number for the tree.
The impactful evening started with prayers by the Lamas as the citizens of Leh and villagers from the regions of plantation gathered. As if in blessing it initiated the launch of the trailer of the film “Green Solidarity” by Stanzin Gya and his team which establishes the need of the collaborative approach to the plantations. This was followed by the conceptual joint presentation of the theme by Mr. Rajesh Patel, Cofounder Green Himalayas and Ms Tsering Dolkar. There were some “oohs” and “ahs” from the audience as Mr. Praveen Sudhakar, managing drone Field Operations, did a live demonstration of how digital mapping of the trees will be done using drones. A sequential endorsement for the collaborative project was received with the address by Chushul Region Councillor Konchok Stanzin, Executive Councillor Tashi Yakzi ( LAHDC), Honourable CEC Tashi Gyaltsen ( LAHDC) and His Eminence Togdan Rinpoche.
IMPORTANT QUOTES
“I have witnessed and participated in Green initiative programs in my own brith place (Chushul) as a student at the age of 17 and today its my honour that I am taking part in the 11th phase of plantation as the Sarpanch of the same village.”
-Ms Tsering Dolkar, Sarpanch, Chushul
“After 9 years and 10 phases of tree plantation we now enter the phase of Solidarity Green - bringing the citizen, the Government, Go Green, corporates and Technology to take the next big leap towards Climate Action. Protecting the Himalayas, the crown jewel for India and a key drive to delivering our 1.5 degree goal. We are proud to be associated with the Go Green Go Organic goal of Green Ladakh.”
-Rajesh Patel & Srini Srinivasan, Co-Founders, Green Himalayas
“As a councillor for the Chushul region, I am aware of the contributions made to H.H Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang's green initiative over the last ten years by local leaders, religious leaders, villagers, Green Himalaya, and Golden Mile Learning. For this, I thank each individual and organisation who joined again for the 11th phase of mass plantation.”
-Councillor Konchok Stanzin ( Chushul Region Councillor)
“With this we are achieving Narendra Modi's aim of a carbon-neutral India by establishing a mass plantation atop the world's highest plateau, Chushul village near at Indian-China border.”
-Executive Councillor Tashi Yakzi ( LAHDC)
“Whether we belong to a ruling party, opposition, independent we should support causes beyond politics like the green plantation drive for the common good of all.”
-H.E Togdan Rinpoche
“For this cause, I thank H.H. Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the villagers of the Lalok region, and the Green Himalaya organisation. We must also be thankful for this relevant movement of the 21st Century that has been initiated by His Holiness .We might not be able to revive all that has degenerated. But it is definitely a loud message to the world that in one of the most barren regions of the world we will be doing a plantation of this scale which is aware and has been hit most by the impact of climate change.”
-Honourable CEC Tashi Gyaltsen ( LAHDC)