In the heart of Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district lies a village with a unique tradition that could very well earn it the name ‘Pi-Plant-Tree’. Piplantri, a village where the birth of every girl child is celebrated by planting 111 trees, stands as a beacon of change in a state grappling with a skewed sex ratio and prevalent female foeticide.
In a region where daughters are often seen as a financial burden due to the heavy costs of marriage, Piplantri’s initiative is a refreshing and profound approach to both environmental sustainability and gender equality. While the world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, Piplantri celebrates its own ‘girls’ day’ every time a daughter is born, adhering to a tradition initiated by the village panchayat in 2006.
The brainchild of Shyam Sundar Paliwal, the former sarpanch, this tradition has since transformed into a movement that has been embraced by the villagers. Upon the birth of a girl, the parents are encouraged to plant 111 trees in her honor. In addition to this, the panchayat helps secure a fixed deposit account for the girl child’s future. The initiative goes a step further—parents must sign an affidavit promising that their daughter will not be married off before the age of 18 and that no one in their family will engage in female foeticide.
This effort, while deeply rooted in tradition, has profound implications. Over the past eight years, Piplantri has witnessed the planting of a remarkable 286,000 trees. The initiative’s financial aspect is designed to offer some sense of security to parents, acknowledging the high financial burden of raising a daughter in rural Rajasthan. Villagers contribute Rs 21,000 for the fixed deposit account, while the panchayat adds Rs 10,000. This collective effort has not only provided an eco-friendly legacy for future generations but has also improved the community’s mindset toward the girl child.
Gehrilal Balai, a villager who planted 111 saplings last year in honor of his daughter, expressed the joy he feels in nurturing the trees, comparing it to the care and affection he gives his child. “Now we have decided we will plant a sapling on her each birthday,” he shared, indicating how deeply this tradition has intertwined with the lives of the villagers.
In 2015, Rajasthan’s then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje lauded the initiative during her visit to Piplantri, praising the village for making the best use of government schemes and for creating a model that should be replicated across the state. “A little love, some knowledge, and lots of hard work have transformed this panchayat,” she wrote in the visitor’s book.
Piplantri’s efforts have not only brought social change to the village but also had a ripple effect on the district’s sex ratio. According to the 2001 census, the district had a balanced sex ratio of 1,000 females to 1,000 males, far above the state’s average of 929:1,000. Although it dropped slightly in the 2011 census to 990, it is still significantly better than the state average.
Moreover, Rajasthan’s annual health survey in 2011-12 reported that 20.3% of women in rural areas were married off before the age of 18. Piplantri’s campaign, by ensuring financial security and advocating for early marriage prevention, is contributing to changing this alarming statistic.
With hopes that the initiative will continue to thrive, Rajsamand’s District Magistrate KC Verma expressed optimism for its future, stating, “The sky should be the limit.”
Piplantri’s story is one of hope and transformation. It demonstrates the power of community action and the profound impact of combining environmental and social goals. As the village continues to plant trees in honor of each girl born, it is clear that Piplantri is not just changing its landscape but is also nurturing a new outlook on the value of daughters—one sapling at a time.