Isha Foundation's "Cauvery calling" campaign flagged off

The Isha Foundation on Wednesday formally launched its "Cauvery Calling" campaign aimed at covering 28 districts in the river basin in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to create awareness about agro forestry model.

A convoy of vehicles as part of the "Cauvery Calling" rally was flagged off from the famed Adiyogi, the 112 ft bust of Lord Shiva at the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains, by Isha founder and architect of nation-wide Rally for Rivers (RfR) movement, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

"Cauvery Calling offers a fresh approach to farming with an economically lucrative agro forestry model that is proven and the model has not only enriched soil and enhanced groundwater levels, but has also contributed to a growth in farmers wealth within a five to eight year period," he said.

 

The campaign, which seeks to revitalise the river, was announced on July 20 after a board meeting of the RfR in Bengaluru.

It will enable farmers plant 242 crore tree saplings in the Cauvery basin with an economically attractive proposition in order to make it sustainable and increase its acceptability in the farmer community.

"It is a shameful matter that so many farmers have committed suicide in the country in the last 15 years," Sadguru said speaking about the need for such a movement.

It will be of great benefit if the government provided subsidy for four years to farmers who convert to agro forestry, he said adding Isha had approached the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments in this regard.

The month-long rally is expected to reach thousands of farmers in the Cauvery belt of the two states.

Events are to be organised at Taluk headquarters in villages along the rally route where agroforestry experts and others will share their knowledge, experiences and success stories of farmers who have adopted the "lucrative agro forestry model".

Sadhguru will lead a bike rally from Talacauvery, the birthplace of the river, in September and reach Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu where Cauvery meets the ocean.

BJP Tamil Nadu unit general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan and Puthiya Tamizhagam founder Dr K. Krishnaswamy were among those who participated in the launch event here on Wednesday.