Activist
Jadav Payeng
Environmentalist & Forestry Worker ('Forest Man of India') · Assam
The Story
Jadav 'Molai' Payeng is an indigenous Mising tribe forestry activist from Majuli, Assam. Starting in 1979 after witnessing washed-up snakes die on a heat-baked sandbar, he planted trees daily for over 40 years. Today, the 1,360-acre Molai Forest he created is home to Bengal tigers, rhinos, vultures, and a returning herd of 100 elephants.
Impact
Single-handedly planted and cultivated a 1,360-acre forest (Molai Forest) on a barren Brahmaputra sandbar over 4 decades
Evidence
Padma Shri 2015, Molai Forest now harbors Royal Bengal tigers, rhinos, 100+ deer, and elephant herds
Replication
Pioneered individual sandbar afforestation techniques along the Brahmaputra river basin