Some people prefer and want to move towards eco-friendly and sustainable ways of living. Rajeev Pal, a staunch believer in organic and pure things, wishes to create a sustainable eco-village. For sustainable living and eco-village, it is necessary to take care of the environment and concentrate on preserving and protecting the environment. Rajeev Pal is wholeheartedly working to create a sustainable model of living. He has made a considerable impact on the life and lifestyle of many villagers belonging to small villages.
Love For Rural India
Rajeev Pal belongs to Haryana. After completing his B.tech, he worked for several private firms. He found the city life boring, and the corporate culture got to him. According to him, city dwellers consume tons of natural resources and produce pollution. In villages, resources are used sustainably. Rajeev traveled to Rural India for work several times. Eventually, he fell in love with the countryside. The idea of creating an eco-village attracted him. An eco-village would be the best example to promote sustainable living.
Knowledge Gained Through Observation
Rajeev’s love for the countryside ignited a desire to create a prototype of an abundant eco-village. He called it ‘Thulasai Eco Village.’ He traveled in Rural India, for several years. He realized that due to fast industrialization, most of the natural resources are depleting. According to him, living in harmony with the environment promotes a better and sustainable future.
One of the villages that he traveled and lived in was Dhesai, Madhya Pradesh. Most of the farmers in the village area are poor people. Although the area receives 1000mm of rainfall every year, it is still considered a dry area. While living in the village made Rajeev realize that many trees could be grown in the like- apple, mango, custard apple, palm, pomegranate, etc. To help out the farmers, Rajeev dug out three ponds for water supply. Two of the ponds dried up, but one stayed full of water till the end of the year. Rajeev began his work to create an eco-village by supporting the villagers and farmers.
Moving to Atale Village
In August 2016, Rajeev moved to a remote village in Atale in Maharashtra. Atale is packed with biodiversity, and as soon as Rajeev moved there, he could feel a sense of belongingness. Atale had 200 families and a population of approximately 1000 people. Rajeev observed that people in the village were ignorant and unaware of the resources. The farmers had left for big cities like Mumbai and Pune for employment. Even for the necessities like food, energy, and medicines, the villagers depended on cities. Rajeev decided to help the villagers and build an eco-village. The villagers after the eco-village won’t have to depend on other rural areas or any other place for meeting their basic needs.
Growing Trees and Crops
Rajeev approached a few friends and convinced them to buy some land in the village. He brought 20 acres of land with the help of friends and family. Rajeev and his team of ten people began planting crops, trees, and plants suitable for the climate. He planted cashew, coconut, mango, areca nut, and a variety of other indigenous trees. He wished to grow herbs, shrubs, and trees. The prototype of eco-village will be a three-layer forest consisting of fruit trees, tubers, climbers, ferns, mushrooms, herbs, and grass.
Building Interest of Villagers
The team built a mud house to accommodate the volunteers. Eventually, the villagers too showed interest in the project. They volunteered to help and build a green and eco-friendly economy. Today, the land is covered by over 200 fruit trees. The challenge was to protect the trees and crops from animals like cows, wild boars, buffaloes, monkeys, and leopards.
Rajeev wants to create a balanced eco-village, and for that, he believes that having all kinds of plants is necessary. He plans to grow – marginal plants, floating plants, oxygenating plants, and rooted floating plants in the fish ponds. Also, natural manure made from cow and sheep dunk will be used as compost to keep the land fertile. The entire prototype will be good for our environment. Additionally, it will help the poor farmers in increasing their daily income.
Plans for Future
The next step in the process is to create ponds and swales. Because of the shortage of funds, Rajeev started crowdfunding called the ‘Help Thulasai Village’ campaign. Systems for rainwater harvesting are being built. Once the funds are in place, the eco-village will be ready within 4-5 years. The aim is to create a self-reliant and ecologically sustainable eco-village where people can live harmoniously. The initiative started by Rajeev Pal is an inspirational story covered by mad 4 India to inspire others in India as well.
If you like this story, then read about Prasiddhi Singh, a 7-year-old environmentalist who is on a mission to plant 1 lakh saplings.
To know more about Rajeev Pal, please check – Website and LinkedIn.
Featured Image – LinkedIn
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