Shyam Sundar Paliwal, the former head of the village, shared that the village has been following this tradition for the last 19 years. When a daughter is born, neighbours, relatives, and friends come together to plant saplings around the household. As the daughters mature, so do the plants. Notably, over one lakh trees have been planted in this village so far. In the year 2005, this initiative was launched by Shyam Sundar.
Rajasthan: A distinct ritual is followed in the Piplantri village of Rajasthan upon the birth of a girl child. The newborn daughters are welcomed with quite a celebration that includes drum beating and planting 111 trees. Notably, over one lakh trees have been planted in this village so far. In the year 2005, this initiative was launched by Sarpanch Shyam Sundar Paliwal.
The launch of the campaign
The former head of the village, Shyam Sundar Paliwal was deeply affected by the loss of his daughter who died at the age of 18 due to dehydration. Determined to prevent such tragedies and ensure adequate water supply in the village, he initiated the campaign of planting trees. He shares that on an average 60 girls are born in the village each year. This initiative not only focuses on promoting greenery and constant water supply, but also prioritizes cleanliness in the village. These efforts were recognized in the year 2007, when the village received an award for achieving the defecation-free status.
A village tradition
Shyam Sundar shared that the village has been following this tradition for the last 19 years. When a daughter is born, neighbours, relatives, and friends come together to plant saplings around the household. As the daughters mature, so do the plants. The community not only plants the trees but also nurtures them with fertilizer and water. Interestingly, the village attracts tourists from distant locations who come to witness its unique practices and customs.
For a secure future
Another initiative that the villagers follow to secure the future of the daughters is depositing money into fixed deposit account. At the time of birth, Rs 10,000 is collected from parents and an additional Rs 31,000 from donors. This amount is deposited into FDs. The birth of a daughter is recorded in the village Panchayat Registrar, and all necessary official procedures for Janani Suraksha Yojana and other beneficial government bond schemes are completed accordingly.
Padma Shri Award
In the year 2021, Shyam Sundar Paliwal was bestowed with the Padma Shri Award. He mentioned that the daughters of the village regard the plants as their brothers and tie them rakhis every year on Rakshabandhan. Some years back, the water level in the village was only 500 feet deep, and today, the village boasts of numerous water springs.
Providing employment
Shyam Sundar explained that Amla (Gooseberry) and Aloe Vera saplings have been planted on the village’s vacant land, with over 50 thousand trees planted to date. Another objective of the initiative was to generate employment opportunities. Today, the women of the village have become completely self-reliant. The village has an Aloe Vera Processing Plant, and the women are involved in producing and selling Aloe Vera juice, and cream, and other products in the market.
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