Save Soil Movement: Now, Nepal pledges support to Sadhguru’s campaign

New Delhi: The Nepal government has extended its support to the global Save Soil Movement that Sadhguru alias Jagadish Vasudev launched in March to address the soil crisis in the world.

In a ‘Save Soil’ event at Godavari Sunrise Convention Center, Lalitpur, Pradeep Yadav, minister of forests and environment presented a letter of solidarity on behalf of the Nepal government to Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation, which is spearheading the movement. He also announced that the Nepal government will plant 30,000 trees this week to commemorate Sadhguru’s ‘30,000 km Save Soil journey’.

Secretary of ministry of agriculture and livestock development, Govind Prasad Sharma, added, “The ministry of agriculture and livestock development is proactively committed to enact new policies, strengthen and implement existing ones; invest and implement programmes and actively save soil in Himalayan region.”

Later, Sadhguru also met the prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who too extended his support to the Save Soil movement.

Sadhguru, tweeting about the interaction, said, “My pleasure and honor to meet and interact with Hon’ble PM Shri. @SherBDeuba and coalition leaders. Your commitment to the #SaveSoil movement should shape the future of this wonderful land and gentle people of #Nepal.”

My pleasure and honor to meet and interact with Hon’ble PM Shri. @SherBDeuba and coalition leaders. Your commitment to the #SaveSoil movement should shape the future of this wonderful land and gentle people of #Nepal. -Sg #SaveSoilNepal @cpsavesoil pic.twitter.com/rRDtINnWvY

— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) September 2, 2022

‘Tackle the calamity of dying soil’

Responding to Nepal’s show of solidarity, Sadhguru said, “Whether you like it or don’t like it, knowingly or unknowingly, every one of us are a part of this destruction. The only way around is that everyone has to become a part of the solution, there is simply no other way.”

He called for an united response to tackle the calamity of ‘dying soil’.  “Even today nearly 85 per cent of the nations on the planet address soil as an inert substance that they can fix by adding or taking away chemicals.”

Noting that democratic nations fulfill the mandate of the people, Sadhguru urged the audience to speak about long-term solutions towards saving soil.

“It’s time the citizens of any mature nation to stand up and ask for the long-term well-being of your country… If the governments have to invest in the long-term well-being of the nation, it is very important that your voice should be up. Your responsibility is not just vote, your responsibility is your voice,” said Sadhguru.

Nepal’s soil profile

Sixty per cent of the soil in Nepal is said to have low organic matter, while 67 per cent of the soil is acidic. In many parts of Nepal, soil organic matter content is less than two per cent, and in some areas, it is below one per cent, especially in cultivated Terai soils. The Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS), a 20-year-long term vision of the Nepal government, has set a target of enhancing soil organic matter from the current 1.96 per cent to four per cent by 2035.

Save Soil Movement

The global movement to Save Soil was launched to draw the world’s attention to the need to save the ‘dying’ soil. The movement urges nations to mandate three per cent to six per cent of organic content in agricultural soils around the world through policy-driven initiatives. This is the minimum organic content required to keep the soil fertile and capable of yield and prevent it from turning it into sand.

The memoranda of understanding (MoU) between the Conscious Planet and Nepal government that is set to be signed at a public event in Kathmandu will act as a commitment in creating policies towards enhancing the soil health of the country.

Globally, 80 countries have pledged to Save Soil from extinction, and nine Indian states have signed MoUs. All 54 Commonwealth nations made a declaration that they will implement the soil policy.

Nine nations have signed MoUs with Save Soil. International organisations that are leading ecological action, such as the International Union of Conservation of Nations (IUCN) and United Nations (UN) agencies – United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), World Food Programme (WFP), and many others have come forward to partner with the movement.

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