मरुस्थल में बसा दिया हरियाली का संसार

Ranaram Bishnoi is a 70-year-old environmentalist of Ekalkhori village near Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He initiated planting trees in the desert and dry area near his village. He planted over 27,000 trees in 25 bigha land with a large earthen pitcher single-handedly. He is known as ahhu “tree-man” by the people of the area. He walks 3 km to reach the dune from his house. Defying his age he climbs it, goes down the other side to get the water from his friend’s tubewell and comes back. He planted an indigenous variety of trees such as Neem, Rohida, Fig, Khejri, Kankeri, Babool and Bougainvillea.

He believes that non-human species have equal or rather more rights to live on earth than humans. He said that “the plants and the animals were on the planet much before we landed here. They have more rights on the planet than us and if we cannot give that to them at least we can ensure we don’t destroy them in our greed.”

His co-worker is Khamu Ram Bishnoi, also known as Turban man. Planting these trees he stopped the desert from expanding over his village potentially ruining hundreds of crops.

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