THE ART OF HEALING THE EARTH

Guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2030 land restoration vision, V.K. Saxena's community- driven bamboo projects in Rajasthan, Delhi, and Gujarat are quietly rewriting India's green future

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A few years back, the earth in Nichla Mandwa, a tribal village in Rajasthan's Udaipur district, was the colour of dust.

The wind moved unhindered over parched soil, carrying only the memory of what might once have grown there. Today, that same land breathes again — lush with bamboo groves, green canopies, and the chatter of squirrels and peacocks. The revival of this 25-acre wasteland is not an isolated act of environmental charity. It is part of a quiet revolution — one that began in Rajasthan's arid heart and is now sprouting across Delhi and Gujarat. Together, these efforts are turning barren stretches into living ecosystems, proving that climate action can be rooted in community, not just capital.

In 2021, India committed itself to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, aligning with the global goal of Land Degradation Neutrality. It was around this time that a small experiment began in Nichla Mandwa, a village long defined by scarcity. The local community offered 25 acres of Gram Sabha land for rejuvenation, a gesture that would soon change the landscape entirely. Under the leadership of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, and in collaboration with the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties, a massive plantation drive was launched. The effort brought together local residents, a woman sarpanch, and elected representatives, all working towards a single purpose — to turn an expanse of lifeless soil into a self-sustaining ecosystem.