Shree Ranjeet
Chaturvedi, Environmentalist, Yamuna Valley Project
My name is Ranjeet Chaturvedi. I am an industrialist turned environmentalist. I hail from the land of Vrindavan, and my mission is to convert the entire Yamuna Valley into the world's first herbal Ayurvedic Valley. This is an all-women initiative led by 1,000 women from 29 villages and across three agro-climatic zones. It is our aim to create a garden of Medicinal plants that spans 180 km from Vikas Nagar to Yamunotri. The largest garden of Medicinal plants that ever existed.
What inspired the idea of making Yamuna Valley the world’s first Herbal Ayurvedic Valley?
I have been working for the last couple of years against Yamuna pollution, which has often been referred to as the world’s most polluted river, flowing through the heart of the world’s largest democracy, its capital city, New Delhi.
With a lot of success, we have managed to make Yamuna a social, cultural, legal, religious, and now even a political issue. Through proper and channelled activism, education, and awareness campaigns, we have been able to mobilise various sections of society towards the plight of Yamuna. But while we focused on the deteriorated sections of Yamuna so far, which is when Yamuna enters the plains and passes through Dehli, Mathura, and Agra up to Prayagraj, where it converges with Ganga, we also had to preserve the pristine and pure sections of Yamuna, which are the upper stretches in the hills of Uttarakhand.
So, we decided to bring the community together, attach a great value and significance to the valley through our initiative, show them the possibility of better livelihood, and then remind the community of their duty towards the environment, especially the Yamuna River.
We also connect deeply with Someshwara, a deity who is representing Soma and is worshipped in the Uttarkashi district. These Medicinal plants are what are referred to as the original Soma in our ancient texts, and the entire community worships this deity.
We also wish to revive the tag of herbal state, which was given to Uttrakhand in 2002 but could never be achieved, and by creating a model in the Yamuna Valley, we wish to offer replication in the other 26 values of Uttrakhand to make it the herbal basket of the world.
How has the project impacted the health and well-being of local communities, especially with regard to the cultivation of medicinal plants?
Firstly, the local community has realised the importance of medicinal plants that have been growing around them in the wild forever, but a lack of information and education around the health benefits and commercial values of Medicinal plants kept them ignorant about their overall benefits.
Wild collection over the years has rendered some species of Medicinal plants endangered, and the local farmers have realised that their cultivation is now of paramount importance.
While the local farmers have been growing their own food for sustenance, they have now realised that growing Medicinal plants can offer them much higher economic benefits.
The biggest impact is the reversal of migratory trends, which we see from the hills to the plains as the farmers now enjoy the possibility of economic progress in their own homes.
How do you envision this initiative transforming Uttarakhand into a global herbal hub, and are there plans for national expansion?
It is said that Uttarakhand has about 1700 species of Medicinal plants, but not even a fraction of these Medicinal plants is under cultivation by farmers.
Once the Yamuna Valley sets an example of economic prosperity by growing Medicinal plants, the entire region will be encouraged to follow this model, and almost all varieties of Medicinal plants will be grown to service the Ayush, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, which are in serious need of good quality raw materials.
The chief minister of Uttarakhand already has a plan to engage 50,000 farmers in medicinal plant cultivation, and our model aligns with this initiative.
The entire Ganga Valley is now a hub for yoga and wellness, and now Yamuna Valley, with its focus on Ayurved, will convert the entire state into a prospective Ayush state.
At the national level, this initiative may encourage other states with different soils and climatic regions to preserve and promote the cultivation of indigenous herbs and medical plant species of the region.
Can you share details about the technical training provided and success stories of women who have benefited from this project?
We have a team of experts, including scientists, PhDs, MScs, and BScs in the fields of agronomy, forestry, medicinal plants, and rural technology, who are in constant touch with the farmers.
These experts work on the ground in every village and train the farmers to create their own nurseries, help with transplantation, cultivation, and finally harvesting.
We have had success stories in almost each of the 29 villages with Sarpagandha species, a plant used in the treatment of hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia.
As a founder, what keeps you inspired and motivated to continue working on climate action and rural empowerment?
My true inspiration comes from children, because I fear that one day, they will question us if we left them a better world than what we got from our earlier generations. So I will do whatever is in my power in this life to leave a better space for our future generations.
How do you balance personal commitments with professional responsibilities, particularly in maintaining partnerships and expanding the market for medicinal plants?
It is very difficult because I have only 24 hours in a day, two hands, and one head, but I seek refuge in the possibility of universal and divine energies coming to my help in the form of like-minded individuals and organisations, such as yourself.
My name is Ranjeet Chaturvedi. I am an industrialist turned environmentalist. I hail from the land of Vrindavan, and my mission is to convert the entire Yamuna Valley into the world's first herbal Ayurvedic Valley. This is an all-women initiative led by 1,000 women from 29 villages and across three agro-climatic zones. It is our aim to create a garden of Medicinal plants that spans 180 km from Vikas Nagar to Yamunotri. The largest garden of Medicinal plants that ever existed.
What inspired the idea of making Yamuna Valley the world’s first Herbal Ayurvedic Valley?
I have been working for the last couple of years against Yamuna pollution, which has often been referred to as the world’s most polluted river, flowing through the heart of the world’s largest democracy, its capital city, New Delhi.
With a lot of success, we have managed to make Yamuna a social, cultural, legal, religious, and now even a political issue. Through proper and channelled activism, education, and awareness campaigns, we have been able to mobilise various sections of society towards the plight of Yamuna. But while we focused on the deteriorated sections of Yamuna so far, which is when Yamuna enters the plains and passes through Dehli, Mathura, and Agra up to Prayagraj, where it converges with Ganga, we also had to preserve the pristine and pure sections of Yamuna, which are the upper stretches in the hills of Uttarakhand.
So, we decided to bring the community together, attach a great value and significance to the valley through our initiative, show them the possibility of better livelihood, and then remind the community of their duty towards the environment, especially the Yamuna River.
We also connect deeply with Someshwara, a deity who is representing Soma and is worshipped in the Uttarkashi district. These Medicinal plants are what are referred to as the original Soma in our ancient texts, and the entire community worships this deity.
We also wish to revive the tag of herbal state, which was given to Uttrakhand in 2002 but could never be achieved, and by creating a model in the Yamuna Valley, we wish to offer replication in the other 26 values of Uttrakhand to make it the herbal basket of the world.
How has the project impacted the health and well-being of local communities, especially with regard to the cultivation of medicinal plants?
Firstly, the local community has realised the importance of medicinal plants that have been growing around them in the wild forever, but a lack of information and education around the health benefits and commercial values of Medicinal plants kept them ignorant about their overall benefits.
Wild collection over the years has rendered some species of Medicinal plants endangered, and the local farmers have realised that their cultivation is now of paramount importance.
While the local farmers have been growing their own food for sustenance, they have now realised that growing Medicinal plants can offer them much higher economic benefits.
The biggest impact is the reversal of migratory trends, which we see from the hills to the plains as the farmers now enjoy the possibility of economic progress in their own homes.
How do you envision this initiative transforming Uttarakhand into a global herbal hub, and are there plans for national expansion?
It is said that Uttarakhand has about 1700 species of Medicinal plants, but not even a fraction of these Medicinal plants is under cultivation by farmers.
Once the Yamuna Valley sets an example of economic prosperity by growing Medicinal plants, the entire region will be encouraged to follow this model, and almost all varieties of Medicinal plants will be grown to service the Ayush, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, which are in serious need of good quality raw materials.
The chief minister of Uttarakhand already has a plan to engage 50,000 farmers in medicinal plant cultivation, and our model aligns with this initiative.
The entire Ganga Valley is now a hub for yoga and wellness, and now Yamuna Valley, with its focus on Ayurved, will convert the entire state into a prospective Ayush state.
At the national level, this initiative may encourage other states with different soils and climatic regions to preserve and promote the cultivation of indigenous herbs and medical plant species of the region.
Can you share details about the technical training provided and success stories of women who have benefited from this project?
We have a team of experts, including scientists, PhDs, MScs, and BScs in the fields of agronomy, forestry, medicinal plants, and rural technology, who are in constant touch with the farmers.
These experts work on the ground in every village and train the farmers to create their own nurseries, help with transplantation, cultivation, and finally harvesting.
We have had success stories in almost each of the 29 villages with Sarpagandha species, a plant used in the treatment of hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia.
As a founder, what keeps you inspired and motivated to continue working on climate action and rural empowerment?
My true inspiration comes from children, because I fear that one day, they will question us if we left them a better world than what we got from our earlier generations. So I will do whatever is in my power in this life to leave a better space for our future generations.
How do you balance personal commitments with professional responsibilities, particularly in maintaining partnerships and expanding the market for medicinal plants?
It is very difficult because I have only 24 hours in a day, two hands, and one head, but I seek refuge in the possibility of universal and divine energies coming to my help in the form of like-minded individuals and organisations, such as yourself.
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