Bikaner: A professor in Rajasthan's Dungar College, located in Bikaner, has come under the limelight after he ran a campaign which resulted in around 35 lakh saplings being planted on the occasion of World Environment Day. Popularly known as a 'Green Man' of Bikaner, Shyamsundar Jyani, an Associate Professor of Sociology in the institution, was awarded by UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) as a result of his work spanning two decades in planting trees in the district located in the arid, Western part of Rajasthan. The initiation, however, took place in Jyani's place of work, as the initial phase saw him planting a small, forested area inside the Dungal College premises.
Spanning over 6 hectares, the area in question saw the 'Green Man' slowly giving rise to a forest cover of more than 3,000 trees. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Jyani said it was an example of 'Family Forestry', a sociological concept that considers trees to be part of a family. This, he says, helped develop environmental sensitivity at the local/family level. "As soon as the tree is included in the family, the members of the family, especially the children, start experiencing the environment through that tree. We have been successful in bringing about positive change," he noted.
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The efforts came full circle recently, as the 'Land for Life' award was gifted to Jyani. Held every two years, the "Land for Life Award aims to provide global recognition to individuals and organizations whose work and initiatives have made a significant contribution to sustainable development through sustainable land management (SLM)", UNCCD states on its website. Jyani, meanwhile, said that he wanted to move towards achieving a sustainable living standard.
"We will use natural resources in such a way that there remains enough for the coming generations. We have to make sure that their well-being is not harmed. Only planting trees is not enough to curb climate change, but corrective measures such as stopping water and electricity wastage, increasing grasslands, and not using plastic goes a long way in saving nature," he said.
