Kailashahar Volunteers Plant 20,000 Trees Across Tripura

Agartala: A Kailashahar group is turning heads for its aggressive tree-planting mission. Since July 2023, the NGO Go Green Volunteers has planted 20,000 trees across Tripura. They target roadsides and schools. They want results.

The group operates under its Back to Nature mission. They started with help from the Kailashahar Municipal Council, the Sub-Divisional Administration, and the local Press Club. About 50 volunteers now do the heavy lifting.

Founding member Mrinal Kanti Sinha reports a 60 percent survival rate. It is a tough fight. The team hit 84 percent in year one, but vandals and construction crews cut that number down. Some saplings now stand as tall as adults. "Generally, we select native fruit-bearing and medicinal plants," Sinha said.

The organization uses recycled plastic to protect their work. Their Green Guards project repurposed 60,000 discarded bottles. They are now working with the Kailashahar Forest Sub-Division on the Green Unakoti, Save Unakoti project. They have already dropped 2,000 fruit trees on the Unakoti hilltop. Officials provided 3.80 lakh from the MLA BEUP fund for the effort.

They also established a Miyawaki forest at PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya. Their work spans sites like Pecharthal JNB, Bilashpur Sringeri Math, and the Kailashahar Airport Road. Vandalism remains a constant headache. Volunteers frequently push back against tree cutting and the removal of protective iron guards.