Youth brigades across Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) are on a mission to “reclaim the climate”.
According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, the northeastern region comprising eight States lost forest cover over more than 3,000 sq. km between 2013 and 2023. The affected areas included the BTR, which accounts for 3.4% of the region’s landmass.
Seeking to reverse the trend, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) authorities launched the Green Bodoland Mission in June 2024, entrusting much of the task of re-greening urban spaces and degraded forests to members of 176 youth clubs in the BTR.
“To promote plant survival through improved plant health management, an incentive of ₹50,000 per Green Brigade member was provided to these clubs. The idea behind this support was to encourage continued care of the plantations by strengthening local ownership and ensuring active post-plantation maintenance,” said Mark Daimari, an official associated with the flagship green mission.
The Green Brigades currently have about 6,000 members.
