The Ecological Task Force (ETF) of the Indian Army has made a significant contribution to halting ecological degradation in several conflict-ridden regions of the country. Set up in 1982, the ETF was probably the world’s first experiment in which the Army took up ecological work on a regular basis. The scheme, implemented through the Ministry of Defence (MoD), is aimed at ecological restoration of terrains rendered difficult either due to severe degradation, remote location, or a difficult law-and-order situation. Another objective is to promote meaningful employment for ex-servicemen.

The ETF battalions of Territorial Army (TA) have been raised to execute specific ecology-related projects with military-like work culture and commitment by enrolling ex-servicemen. Under this scheme, the operational expenditure on the ETF battalions raised by the Ministry of Defence is reimbursed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, while inputs like saplings and fencing as well as professional and managerial guidance, are provided by the state forest departments. All ETF battalions are self-sufficient when it comes to raising nurseries and taking measures to protect the plantation area. After the task of restoration is completed, the eco-regenerated areas are handed over to the concerned state department and the ETF is redeployed elsewhere in the state. The ETF may be dismantled after the job is done, or may be redeployed on other ecological missions.

In the last 30 years, the ETF has planted and cared for approximately 6.42 crore saplings and covered an area of 71,618 hectares of land, with a 70 to 80 per cent survival rate. Between May 2008 and March 2015, the ETF planted 5.2 million trees across 4,058 hectares in the eastern region, which had been denuded by militant outfits for timber to fund insurgency. Re-vegetation of such areas has helped to increase humidity. In arid regions, their efforts have reduced day temperatures, checked the movement of sand dunes, decreased wind velocity and improved the habitat of the local fauna. Socially, the project has been providing usufructs in the form of firewood, fodder, and timber to the local communities.

In order to achieve cost effectiveness, the ETF battalions have adopted several innovative methods such as raising their own nurseries to ensure quality saplings with better survival rates, utilisation of bio-fertilisers to include azolla cultivation and vermicompost, waste recycling by using empties of Tetra Pack Milk as poly bags for seedlings, drip irrigation, and water sprinkling systems. ETF battalions have also been successful in planting fruit and medicinal plants in desert terrain, to include mango, chikoo, grafted berry, ramphal, amla, black berry, kinoo, date palm and guava with a survival rate of almost 100 per cent.

At present, eight ETF battalions (of nearly 1,000 men each) are located at Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Shri Mohangarh, Samba, Kufri, Delhi, Sonitpur and Kokrajhar. These units have been working in inhospitable terrain and adverse weather conditions with temperatures ranging from -16 to 52 degree Celsius. They are working under the ever-looming threat of insurgents in the counter-insurgency areas of Jammu Kashmir and Northeast and are living under harsh and hostile conditions. These problems notwithstanding, they have greened the once barren and desolate landscape and restored the ecology to its once pristine glory. The MoD has recently agreed in principle to raise a composite ETF named as Ganga Task Force.

Each ETF battalion has had a glorious share in the saga of ecological conservation through afforestation and restoration of the severely denuded hills and deserts, and prevention of illegal mining and soil conservation.

Whether it’s been the stabilisation of sand dunes and afforestation of the Thar Desert in Jaisalmer or managing watersheds in Himachal and Uttarakhand or reclaiming the barren Mussoorie hills and the Bhatti Mines at Delhi, the ETF has done the nation and the Indian army proud. Not known to many intellectuals and activists in India, the ETF battalions of the Army have made a stellar contribution in our fight to save the planet.

The author is a retired Wing Commander. Views expressed are personal