In the 12 tribal villages in Bhabuk gram panchayat, 12km from Malda, West Bengal, there is a quiet green revolution underway. Step into any home, and you will most likely find a young jackfruit tree swaying gently in the breeze.
Since 2018, the Rotary Club of Malda, RID 3240, has been distributing these saplings to households, schools and farmers as part of its Project Green Earth. The Rotarians are on a mission: to plant 10,000 jackfruit saplings across the district. “We have already distributed 8,000 saplings,” says the club’s past president Bhaskar Paul.
Why jackfruit? Pat comes Paul’s response: “It is our native plant, perfect for our warm and temperate climate. Nothing goes to waste — the wood from the tree is good for making furniture, the leaves feed cattle, the seeds are used to make pickle, and the fruit… it is delicious and nutritious. With increased awareness of its health benefits, there is a growing market for it. For villagers, this means sustainable income as well as food security.”
For Paul and the club’s IPP Subhra Kundu the project is personal. Both own farmland in one of the villages, and use their visits during the monsoon, the ideal planting season, to buy and distribute 100 saplings at a time. “Fellow club members join in. We hand over the saplings and guide the villagers on nurturing them. They are farmers, so they use natural fertilisers like cow dung,” says Paul. The first two years need regular watering, and by the fifth year, the trees start yielding fruit. Each sapling costs just ₹30, “a small investment for a tree that could feed families for decades.”
Rotarians work with children and adults in planting the saplings. The project’s benefits reach far beyond food and income. “More green cover means richer biodiversity, healthier soil and cleaner air,” he smiles.
The club’s ties with Bhabuk gram panchayat run deep. Over the years, it has organised adult literacy classes, medical camps and awareness workshops on health and hygiene, environmental care and water conservation. “We’ve built a playground in the Jharpukuria village and host regular football tournaments.” An RCC has been installed in the village to coordinate welfare activities extended by the club, he adds.