Man who single-handedly planted 550-hectare forest is planning to do it all over again on another barren plot

The world is mired in a conflict between human beings and nature as well as other species, but some people are silently working towards coexistence. Every year since 2008, a herd of 100 wild elephants crosses the shallow waters of a rivulet to visit Assam’s “Molai forest.” Island’s villagers often complain that these elephants could trample their fields but Jadav “Molai” Payeng defends the animals and sternly says that it’s the “man that must adjust,” and even created this forest to lead by example.

Jadav toiled for decades to cultivate this vast forest with his own hands, a feat for which the former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam nicknamed him “The Forest Man of India.” NPR reports that he is now planning to convert another patch of barren land into his forest’s green underbelly. Jadav wakes up each day before dawn, paddles along a small river, packs his lunch and enters a forest that he has created single-handedly. Known as “Mulai Kathoni,” the forest is a wholesome ecosystem that hosts a variety of wildlife species including Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, Indian rhinoceros, reptiles, over 100 deer, and rabbits. Located inside Majuli, the largest river island in the world, the forest spans an area of 550 hectares (1,360 acres).

This spectacular forest wouldn’t have been possible without the unrelenting spirit of Jadav who experienced something that crushed his heart and pushed him to do something about it. When Jadav was just a boy, the roaring waters of the Brahmaputra river flooded and eroded his island, destroying homes, and leaving stretches of barren sands all around. "Earlier, this was all sand. No trees, no grass — nothing was here. Only driftwood. Now, seeds of grass carried downriver from China wash up, and pollinate, on their own," he told NPR. Today, the forest is swaying with avenues of thousands of trees including cotton trees, bamboo trees, Arjun, silk trees, Royal Poinciana, and more, as per Interesting Engineering.

But it wasn’t only flood and erosion that inspired Jadav to pursue the strenuous mission of spinning an entire forest all by himself. In 1979, Jadav encountered a horrifying sight. As he was walking through the island, he came across a patch where piles and piles of snakes were bundled on the ground. Tormented by the lack of a tree to provide shade, the cold-blooded creatures had died in the scorching heat. A heartbroken yet determined Jadav decided to grow a forest in that moment, even though locals called him “crazy.”

Jadav’s single-handed effort first gained attention in 2008 when the herd of wild elephants started visiting the forest. That’s when the forest was named after him. He even went on to receive the highest Indian honor, the Padma Shree award.

In 2012, a local photographer, Jitu Kalita, created a documentary film “Forest Man” based on Jadav’s story, and it instantly captured public interest and bagged several awards. Jadav's uplifting spirit also inspired a book called "Jadav and the Tree Place" written and illustrated by Vinayak Varma.

Although scientists announced that in 15-20 years, Majuli could be completely gone, Jadav refused to give up. According to NPR, he is even planning to plant an additional 5,000 acres of forest on the island, aiming to cover the remaining of Brahmaputra’s barren sandbars. At the end of the day, Jadav says that he feels like he has "set an example of what one man can do."