Coimbatore: The Isha Foundation on Wednesday formally launched the month-long ‘Cauvery Calling’ campaign aimed at covering 28 districts in the river basin in Tamilnadu and Karnataka to create awareness about agro forestry model.
Tamilnadu BJP general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan and Puthiya Tamizhagam founder Dr K Krishnaswamy also took part in the event.
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Isha founder, flagged off a convoy of vehicles thus formally launching ‘Cauvery Calling’ campaign. The initiative is aimed at spreading awareness about agro forestry model and it will cover 28 districts in Tamilnadu and Karnataka river basins. The campaign was announced on 20 July, and it will help farmers plant 242 crore tree saplings in the Cauvery basin with an economically attractive proposition in order to make it sustainable and increase its acceptability in the farmer community.
Sadhguru is known to be the architect of nation-wide ‘Rally for Rivers’ movement. Speaking about the campaign, he said it offers a fresh approach to farming and uses an economically lucrative agro forestry model. This model not only enriches soil, enhances groundwater levels, but also contributes toward farmers wealth a period of five to eight years.
Sadhguru said the foundation approached the Tamilnadu and Karnataka governments for the campaign. “It is a shameful matter that so many farmers have committed suicide in the country in the last 15 years.” He said that it would benefit farmers if the government provided subsidy for four years who convert to agro forestry.
The month-long rally is expected to reach thousands of farmers in the Cauvery belt of the two states. Events are to be organised at Taluk headquarters in villages along the rally route where agroforestry experts and others will share their knowledge, experiences and success stories of farmers who have adopted the “lucrative agro forestry model.”
Sadhguru will lead a bike rally from Talacauvery, the birthplace of the river, in September and reach Tiruvarur in Tamilnadu where Cauvery meets the ocean. BJP Tamilnadu unit general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan and Puthiya Tamizhagam founder Dr K Krishnaswamy were among those who participated in the launch event here on Wednesday.