By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev attributed the rampant usage of chemical fertilisers as the main reason for the decline of natural techniques in the field of agriculture. The farmers could benefit from the availability of nutrients rich soil and enough water facility for agriculture, obtained through planting trees. He was addressing the gathering at the launch of the first phase of vehicle rally ‘Cauvery Calling’ movement from the famed Adiyogi statue in Isha Yoga Centre on Wednesday.

The drive aims at bringing farmers and riverine communities together and garner their support to convert riverbanks into a minimum wide stretch of forest to conserve soil and water. The rally would create awareness about movements to revitalise River Cauvery by reaching farmers in 4,000 villages in Tamil Nadu and around 940 villages in Karnataka.

The project facilitates plantation of 242 crore trees in Cauvery Basin with 73 crore trees in the first phase of the rally. Based on the size of the land the farmers would be specified a few types of trees they could plant in the premises, he said adding the saplings are being prepared at their nursery. “The aim is to encourage 33 per cent of farmers in both the state to shift to tree plantation as it would yield them good results after five years of its growth,” he said.

Expressing his worry over the suicide of three lakh farmers in the last 15 years, he said though debts are said to be the cause, the unavailability of water could be another reason. He added that planting trees along the river basin could help them. During the rally, volunteers would speak with farmers about the benefits of agroforestry and also asking them to shift to multiple cropping methods. General secretary of BJP-Tamil Nadu Vanathi Srinivasan, Puthiya Tamilagam party founder K Krishnasamy, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) general secretary ER Eswaran were also present.