Planting trees crucial to protect soil's fertility: Isha founder

This is the primary objective of Isha's Cauvery Calling movement which is encouraging farmers in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to adopt tree-based agriculture which has proven to yield enormous ecological and economic benefits for the farmer,a release from Isha said on the occasion of World Earth Day. "Mother Earth is so generous. If only we give her the chance, she will restore everything in absolute abundance and beauty," he said in a message. In the 2020 planting season, farmers in both states planted 1.1 crore saplings on their farmlands in the Cauvery river basin which is expected to have a significant impact on the soil health and water holding capacity of the densely populated river basin, the release said. 

"Without fertile soil, there is no question of abundant water as healthy soil is the greatest reservoir of water. Nutrient-rich soil can absorb rainwater and store it underground, protecting it from evaporation and recharging groundwater tables," the spiritual leader said.